Ecclesiastes 2:1–11

The Futility of Pleasure and Possessions

¹I said ¹to myself, “Come now, I will test you with ^apleasure. So ²enjoy yourself.” And behold, it too was futility.

^2aI said of laughter, “It is madness,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”

³I explored with my ¹mind how to ^astimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of ^bfolly, until I could see ^cwhat good there is for the sons of men ²to do under heaven the few ³years of their lives.

⁴I enlarged my works: I ^abuilt houses for myself, I planted ^bvineyards for myself;

⁵I made ^agardens and ^bparks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees;

⁶I made ^aponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees.

⁷I bought male and female slaves and I had ^1ahomeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and ^bherds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem.

⁸Also, I collected for myself silver and ^agold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself ^bmale and female singers and the pleasures of men—many concubines.

⁹Then I became ^agreat and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.

^10aAll that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my ^breward for all my labor.

¹¹Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had ¹exerted, and behold all was ^2avanity and striving after wind and there was ^bno profit under the sun.