Ecclesiastes 2:1–17

THE EMPTINESS OF PLEASURE

2I said to myself, “Go ahead, I will test you with pleasure;^u enjoy what is good.” But it turned out to be futile. ²I said about laughter,^v “It is madness,” and about pleasure, “What does this accomplish?” ³I explored with my mind the pull of wine^w on my body—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—and how to grasp folly,^x until I could see what is good for people to do under heaven^A during the few days of their lives.^y

THE EMPTINESS OF POSSESSIONS

⁴I increased my achievements. I built houses^z and planted vineyards^aa for myself. ⁵I made gardens^ab and parks for myself and planted every kind of fruit tree in them. ⁶I constructed reservoirs for myself from which to irrigate a grove of flourishing trees.^{ac 7}I acquired male and female servants and had slaves who were born in my house.^ad I also owned livestock—large herds and flocks—more than all who were before me in Jerusalem.^{ae 8}I also amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces.^af I gathered male and female singers for myself,^ag and many concubines, the delights of men.^{BC 9}So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem;^a my wisdom also remained with me. ¹⁰All that my eyes desired, I did not deny them.^b I did not refuse myself any pleasure, for I took pleasure in all my struggles. This was my reward for all my struggles.^{c 11}When I considered all that I had accomplished^D and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind.^d There was nothing to be gained under the sun.^e

THE RELATIVE VALUE OF WISDOM

¹²Then I turned to consider wisdom,^f madness, and folly, for what will the king’s successor^F be like? He^G will do what has already been done.^{g 13}And I realized that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly, like the advantage of light over darkness.^h

¹⁴The wise person has eyes in his head,

but the fool walks in darkness.ⁱ

Yet I also knew that one fate comes to them both.^{j 15}So I said to myself, “What happens to the fool will also happen to me. Why then have I been overly wise?”^k And I said to myself that this is also futile. ¹⁶For, just like the fool, there is no lasting remembrance of the wise,^l since in the days to come both will be forgotten. How is it that the wise person dies just like the fool? ¹⁷Therefore, I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind.