1I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.2I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?3I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.4I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:5I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:6I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:7I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:8I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.9So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.10And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.11Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.12And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.13Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.14The wise man' eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.15Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.16For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man ? as the fool.17Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.18Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.19And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.20Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.21For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.22For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?23For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.24There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.25For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto , more than I?26For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Ecclesiastes 2
English Standard Version
The Vanity of Self-Indulgence
1I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity.[1] (Lu 12:19)2I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” (Pr 14:13)3I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. (Ec 1:17; Ec 7:25)4I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. (1Ki 7:1; So 8:11)5I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. (So 4:16; So 5:1)6I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees.7I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. (Ge 14:14; Ge 15:3; 1Ki 4:23)8I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines,[2] the delight of the sons of man. (2Sa 19:35; 1Ki 4:21; 1Ki 9:28; 1Ki 10:10; 1Ki 10:14; 1Ki 10:15; 1Ki 10:21; 1Ki 11:3; 1Ki 20:14; 2Ch 35:25; Eze 19:8)9So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. (1Ch 29:25; Ec 1:16)10And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. (Pr 8:31; Ec 3:22; Ec 5:18; Ec 9:9)11Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. (Ec 1:3; Ec 1:14)
The Vanity of Living Wisely
12So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. (Ec 1:9; Ec 1:17; Ec 7:25)13Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness.14The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. (Ps 49:10; Pr 17:24; Ec 3:19; Ec 9:2)15Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. (Ec 2:16; Ec 6:8)16For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! (Ec 1:11; Ec 2:14; Ec 9:5)17So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind. (Ec 2:11)
The Vanity of Toil
18I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, (Ps 39:6; Ps 49:10; Ec 1:3)19and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity.20So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, (Ec 1:3; Ec 7:25)21because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.22What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? (Ec 1:3)23For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity. (Job 5:7; Job 14:1; Ec 1:13)24There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment[3] in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, (Ec 3:12; Ec 3:13; Ec 3:22; Ec 5:18; Ec 5:19; Ec 8:15; Ec 9:7; Lu 12:19; 1Co 15:32; 1Ti 6:17)25for apart from him[4] who can eat or who can have enjoyment?26For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. (Job 27:16; Job 32:8; Pr 13:22; Ec 1:14; Ec 2:7)