Ecclesiastes 2

1I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good.” But look, this too was futile.

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

3I searched out in my heart how to cheer my body with wine—while my heart was still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold of folly, until I could see what is good for human beings to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

4I did great works: I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself.

5I made gardens and parks for myself, and I planted every kind of fruit tree in them.

6I made pools of water for myself, to water a forest of growing trees.

7I bought male and female slaves, and I had slaves born in my house. I also had great herds and flocks, more than all who were before me in Jerusalem.

8I also gathered silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got male and female singers for myself, and the delights of human beings: many concubines.

9So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom also stayed with me.

10Whatever my eyes asked for, I did not keep from them; I did not hold back my heart from any pleasure, for my heart took pleasure in all my toil, and this was my share from all my toil.

11Then I turned to look at all the works my hands had done and at the toil I had labored to do, and look, everything was futile, a chasing of the wind; there was nothing gained under the sun.

12Then I turned to consider wisdom, madness, and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done.

13And I saw that wisdom has an advantage over folly, as light has an advantage over darkness.

14The wise have eyes in their heads, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also came to know that one fate befalls them all.

15Then I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will befall me too. So why have I been so very wise?” And I said to myself that this too is futile.

16For the wise, like the fool, are not remembered forever, since in the days to come everything will already have been forgotten. How the wise die, just like the fool!

17So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me; for everything is futile, a chasing of the wind.

18I hated all my toil at which I toil under the sun, because I must leave it to the one who will come after me.

19And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my toil, for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This too is futile.

20So I turned and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil at which I had toiled under the sun.

21For there is a person who toils with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and then must hand over his share to someone who did not toil for it. This too is futile and a great evil.

22For what do people get for all their toil and all the striving of their hearts with which they toil under the sun?

23For all their days are pain, and their work is grief; even at night their hearts do not rest. This too is futile.

24There is nothing better for people than to eat and drink and let themselves find enjoyment in their toil. This too, I saw, is from the hand of God.

25For who can eat, or who can find enjoyment, apart from me?

26For to the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and heaping up, only to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is futile, a chasing of the wind.