1   I said to myself, ‘Come, I will plunge into pleasures and enjoy myself’; but this too was emptiness. 2   Of laughter I said, ‘It is madness!’ 3   And of pleasure, ‘What is the good of that?’ So I sought to stimulate

The emptiness of all endeavour myself with wine, in the hope of finding out what was good for men to do under heaven throughout the brief span of their lives. But my mind was guided by wisdom, not blinded by ^note folly.

4   I undertook great works; I built myself houses and planted vineyards; 5   I made myself gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit-trees in them; 6   I made myself pools of water to irrigate a grove of growing trees; 7   I bought slaves, male and female, and I had my home-born slaves as well; I had possessions, more cattle and flocks than any of my predecessors in Jerusalem; 8   I amassed silver and gold also, the treasure of kings and provinces; I acquired singers, men and women, and all that man delights in. ^note 9   I was great, greater than all my predecessors in Jerusalem; and my wisdom stood me in good stead. 10   Whatever my eyes coveted, I refused them nothing, nor did I deny myself any pleasure. Yes indeed, I got pleasure from all my labour, and for all my labour this was my reward. 11   Then I turned and reviewed all my handiwork, all my labour and toil, and I saw that everything was emptiness and chasing the wind, of no profit under the sun.

12    13   I set myself to look at wisdom and at madness and folly. ^noteThen I perceived that wisdom is more profitable than folly, as light is more profitable than darkness: 14   the wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in the dark. Yet I saw also that one and the same fate overtakes them both. 15   So I said to myself, ‘I too shall suffer the fate of the fool. To what purpose have I been wise? What ^note is the profit of it? 16   Even this’, I said to myself, ‘is emptiness. The wise man is remembered no longer than the fool, for, as the passing days multiply, ^note all will be forgotten. 17   Alas, wise man and fool die the same death!’ So I came to hate life, since everything that was done here under the sun was a trouble to me; for all is emptiness and chasing the wind. 18   So I came to hate all my labour and toil here under the sun, since I should have to leave its fruits to my successor. What sort of a man will he be who succeeds me, who inherits what others have acquired? ^note 19   Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will be master of all the fruits of my labour and skill here under the sun. This too is emptiness.

20   Then I turned and gave myself up to despair, reflecting upon all my labour and toil here under the sun. 21   For anyone who toils with wisdom, knowledge, and skill must leave it all to a man who has spent no labour on it. 22   This too is emptiness and utterly wrong. What reward has a man for all his labour, his scheming, and his toil here under the

The emptiness of all endeavour sun? 23   All his life long his business is pain and vexation to him; even at night his mind knows no rest. 24   This too is emptiness. There is nothing better for a man to do than ^note to eat and drink and enjoy himself in return for his labours. And yet I saw that this comes from the hand of God. 25    26   For without him who can enjoy his food, or who can be anxious? God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to the man who pleases him, while to the sinner is given the trouble of gathering and amassing wealth only to hand it over to someone else who pleases God. This too is emptiness and chasing the wind.

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