Ecclesiastes 1:12–2:11

Wisdom Is Meaningless

12 I, the Teacher,l was king over Israel in Jerusalem.m 13 I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens.n What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind!o 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.p

15 What is crooked cannot be straightened;q

what is lacking cannot be counted.

16 I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me;r I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom,s and also of madness and folly,t but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.

18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;u

the more knowledge, the more grief.v

Pleasures Are Meaningless

2 I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasurew to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. 2 “Laughter,”x I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” 3 I tried cheering myself with wine,y and embracing follyz—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.

4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myselfa and planted vineyards.b 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slavesc who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and goldd for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces.e I acquired male and female singers,f and a harema as well—the delights of a man’s heart. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalemg before me.h In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;

I refused my heart no pleasure.

My heart took delight in all my labor,

and this was the reward for all my toil.

11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done

and what I had toiled to achieve,

everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;i

nothing was gained under the sun.j