1I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with joy — enjoy what is good.” And look, that too was a breath. 2Of laughter I said, “It is mad,” and of joy, “What does this accomplish?” 3I explored in my heart how to draw my flesh along with wine — my heart still guiding me with wisdom — and how to take hold of folly, until I might see what is good for the sons of man to do under heaven for the number of the days of their lives. 4I made my works great: I built myself houses, I planted myself vineyards. 5I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them fruit trees of every kind. 6I made myself pools of water, to water from them a forest of growing trees. 7I bought male and female slaves, and I had slaves born in my house. I also had herds and flocks, more than anyone before me in Jerusalem. 8I gathered for myself silver and gold as well, the treasure of kings and provinces. I got myself men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of man — a woman, and women. 9So I grew great, greater than anyone before me in Jerusalem; and my wisdom too stood by me. 10Whatever my eyes asked for I did not keep from them; I did not withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart took joy in all my toil, and this was my portion from all my toil. 11Then I turned to all the works my hands had done, and to the toil I had toiled to do — and look: it was all a breath and a chasing after wind, and there is no gain under the sun.
The wise man dies just like the fool
12Then I turned to look at wisdom, and at madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. 13And I saw that wisdom has a gain over folly, as light has a gain over darkness. 14The wise man has his eyes in his head, and the fool walks in darkness. But I also came to know that one and the same fate befalls them all. 15So I said in my heart, “The fate of the fool will befall me too — and why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this too is a breath. 16For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man any more than of the fool: in the days to come both will already be forgotten. How is it that the wise man dies just like the fool? 17So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. For it is all a breath and a chasing after wind. 18And I hated all my toil that I toil at under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me. 19And who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? Yet he will have mastery over all my toil that I toiled at and did wisely under the sun. This too is a breath. 20So I turned and gave my heart over to despair concerning all the toil that I toiled at under the sun. 21For here is a man whose toil is done with wisdom and knowledge and skill, and to a man who did not toil for it he must give it as his portion. This too is a breath, and a great evil. 22For what does a man get from all his toil, and from the chasing of his heart, at which he toils under the sun? 23For all his days are pains, and his business is vexation; even at night his heart does not lie down. This too is a breath. 24There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and let himself see good in his toil. This too I saw, that it comes from the hand of God. 25For who can eat, and who can enjoy, apart from me? 26For to the man who pleases him God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the business of gathering and heaping up, only to give it to the one who pleases God. This too is a breath and a chasing after wind.
