2I said to myself,^a “Come! I will test^b pleasure to see whether it is worthwhile.”^c But look, “This also is vanity!” ²I said of laughter, “It is folly!” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”^d ³I also explored^e the effects of indulging my flesh^f with wine. My mind guiding me with wisdom, I investigated^g folly so that I might discover what is good under heaven^h for humansⁱ to do during the days of their lives.^j

Qohelet’s Investigation of Personal Accomplishment

⁴I accomplished great things.^k I built for myself houses; I planted for myself vineyards. ⁵I made for myself gardens and parks, and I planted all sorts of fruit trees in them. ⁶I made for myself pools of water from which to irrigate a grove of flourishing trees. ⁷I acquired male slaves and female slaves, as well as children born in my house. I also had livestock, cattle, and flocks more than anyone who was before me in Jerusalem. ⁸I also gathered to myself silver and gold—the royal and provincial treasuries. I acquired for myself male and female singers, as well as the delight of men,^l voluptuous concubines.^m

⁹Thus, I accomplished far moreⁿ than anyone who was before me in Jerusalem—indeed, my wisdom stood by me. ¹⁰I neither withheld anything from my eyes that they desired, nor did I deprive any pleasure from my heart. My heart rejoiced in all my toil, for this was my reward from all my toil. ¹¹Yet when I considered^o all the effort which I expended and the toil with which I toiled to do, then behold, “Everything is vanity and chasing wind! There is nothing profitable under the sun!”

Read in Logos

Footnotes

aLiterally “to my heart”
bThe MT reads “I will test you,” but the BHS editors propose “I will test …” Whether or not one adopts MT, Qohelet is speaking to himself
cLiterally “and look at goodness”; this idiom refers to the enjoyment of life
dLiterally “What does it give?”
eLiterally “I searched in my mind”
fLiterally “to cheer my flesh”
gLiterally “laid hold of”
hFollows MT; two medieval Hebrew manuscripts, LXX, Peshitta read, “under the sun,” cf. 1:3, 9, etc.
iLiterally “the sons of the man”
jLiterally “the number of the days of their lives”
kLiterally “I made great my works”
lLiterally “the sons of the man”
mLiterally “a breast and breasts,” as a synecdoche for beautiful women in the king’s harem
nLiterally “I became great and I surpassed”
oOr “turned to”