Ecclesiastes 2:1–11

Pleasures Are Meaningless

2I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure^w 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?” ³I tried cheering myself with wine,^y and embracing folly^z—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.

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

¹⁰I 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.

¹¹Yet 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