1   I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy

Before CHRIST, 977. pleasure: and behold, this also is vanity.

2   I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?

3    ^noteI sought in my heart, ^note to give myself to wine, yet acquainting my 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 ^note all the days of their life.

4   I made me great works; I built me houses; I planted me vineyards:

5   I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:

6   I made me pools of water, to water with them the wood that bringeth forth trees:

7   I procured me servants and maidens, and had ^note servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:

8    ^noteI gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings, and of the provinces: I procured me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as ^note musical instruments, and of all sorts.

9   So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

10   And whatever my eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labor: and this was my portion of all my labor.

11   Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do: and behold, all was ^note vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

12   And I turned myself to behold wisdom, ^note and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? ^note even that which hath been already done.

13   Then I saw ^note that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

14    ^noteThe 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.

15   Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it ^note 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 to me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

18   ¶2; Yes, I hated all my labor which I had ^note taken under the sun: because ^note I should leave it to 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 labor in which I have labored, and in which I have showed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

20   Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labor which I took under the sun.

21   For there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not labored in it, shall he ^note leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

22    ^noteFor what hath man of all his labor, and of the vexation of his heart, in which he hath labored under the sun?

23   For all his days are ^note sorrows, and his labor grief; yes, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

24   ¶2; ^note There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that he ^note should make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

25   For who can eat, or who else can hasten to it more than I?

26   For God giveth to a man who is good ^note in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth toil, to gather, and to amass, that ^note he may give to him that is good before God. This is also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

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