I said in
mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with
mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold,
this also is vanity.
02 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth,
What doeth it?
03 I 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.
04 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I
planted me vineyards:
05 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted
trees in them of all kind of fruits:
06 I made me pools of water, to water therewith
the wood that bringeth forth trees:
07 I 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:
08 I 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.
09 So I was great, and increased more than all
that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom
remained with me.
10 And 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.
11 Then 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.
12 And 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.
13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far
as light excelleth darkness.
14 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the
fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived
also that one event happeneth to them all.
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15 Then 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.
16 For 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.
17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that
is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for
all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
18 Yea, 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.
19 And 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.
20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to
despair of all the labour which I took under the
sun.
21 For 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.
22 For what hath man of all his labour, and of
the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath
laboured under the sun?
23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail
grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the
night. This is also vanity.
24 There 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.
25 For who can eat, or who else can hasten
hereunto, more than I?
26 For 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.
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