The Futility of Pleasures
1 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure, therefore enjoy what is good,” but this also was pointless. 2 I said of laughter, “It is foolishness,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”
3 I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what was good for people, what they should do under heaven all the days of their lives.
4 I did great things, building myself houses and planting vineyards for myself. 5 I made gardens for myself and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit. 6 I made myself pools of water, to water the forest from it where trees were grown. 7 I bought male servants and female servants and had servants born in my house. I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all who were before me in Jerusalem. 8 I also gathered silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got myself male and female singers, and many concubines, the delights of men..
9 So I was great and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me. 10 Whatever my eyes desired, I didn’t keep from them. I didn’t withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor. 11 Then I looked at all the works that my hands had done and all that I had labored to achieve, and everything was pointless chasing after the wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
The Wise and the Foolish
12 I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly, for what can the king’s successor do than that which has been done long ago. 13 Then I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, as far as light exceeds darkness. 14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness—and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all. 15 Then I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, so will it happen to me, and why was I then wiser?” Then I said in my heart that, this also is pointless. 16 For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise any more than the fool, since in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool!
17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me, for everything is pointless chasing after the wind. 18 I hated all my labor for which I toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me. 19 Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I skillfully toiled under the sun. This also is pointless.
The Futility of Work
20 Therefore I began to despair over all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun. 21 For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skill, yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great tragedy.
22 For what does a man have of all his labor and of the striving of his heart, in which he toils under the sun? 23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief, yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.
24 There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and find joy in his labor. This also I have seen is from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? 26 For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and heaping up so that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.