Ecclesiastes 2

CLV(i) 1 I said in my heart:Come then, Let me probe you with rejoicing; Now see what is good. But behold, even this is vanity." 2 Mirth, I said, is a raving, And rejoicing, what then is it achieving? 3 I explored within my heart by stimulating my flesh with wine (While my heart was leading with wisdom) And by getting a hold on frivolity, Until I should see just where good may be for the sons of humanity In what they do under the heavens during the number of days in their lives." 4 I made great things as my works; I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself; 5 I made gardens and parks for myself, And I planted in them trees of every fruit." 6 I made reservoirs of water for myself, To irrigate from them the sprouting grove of trees." 7 I acquired servants and maids, And any sons born in the house became mine; Moreover, abundant cattle, herds and flocks became mine, More than all who were before me in Jerusalem." 8 I collected also silver and gold for myself, The valuables of kings and provinces; I provided male singers and female singers for myself, And with the delicacies of the sons of humanity, a wine waiter and wine waitresses." 9 As I grew greater and added more than anyone who was before me in Jerusalem, Indeed my wisdom, it stayed by me." 10 All that my eyes asked for I did not deny to them; I did not withhold my heart from any rejoicing, For my heart had rejoicing from all my toil, And this itself was my portion from all my toil." 11 Yet when I faced all my deeds that my hands had done, And the toil that I had toiled in doing them, Behold, the whole was vanity and a grazing on wind, And there was nothing of advantage under the sun." 12 Then I turned around to see wisdom compared with raving and frivolity (For what deeds are left for the man who comes after the king Beyond those that others have already done?), 13 And I saw there is more advantage for wisdom than for frivolity Just as there is more advantage for light than for darkness; 14 The wise man uses his eyes in his head, While the stupid man walks in darkness; Yet I realized indeed that the same destiny befalls them all." 15 So I said in my heart, Since the destiny of the stupid man is also mine, and it shall befall me, To what advantage then have I been wise? Hence I spoke in my heart, This too is vanity." 16 For there is no remembrance of the wise man or the stupid man for the eon; In the days which are already coming everyone is forgotten; Alas, the wise man dies along with the stupid one!" 17 Then I hated life, For to me the work was evil that was done under the sun, For the whole is vanity and a grazing on wind." 18 And I hated all my toil that I was toiling under the sun, That I would leave to the man who shall come after me." 19 Who knows if he shall be a wise or a frivolous man? Yet he shall have authority over all the fruit of my toil that I toiled, And in which I was wise under the sun; This too is vanity." 20 So I turned around again with despair in my heart Over all the toil that I had toiled under the sun. 21 For there is a man whose toil is in wisdom and in knowledge and in success, Yet to another man who has not toiled for it, he must give it as his portion; This too is vanity and a great evil." 22 For what is coming to a man for all his toil, And for the grazing of his heart which he is toiling under the sun? 23 For all his days his experience is filled with pains and vexation; Even in the night his heart will not lie down; This too, it is vanity." 24 There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink And cause his soul to see good from his toil; This too I see that it is from the hand of Elohim. 25 For who can eat, and who can have pleasure outside of Him? 26 For to the man who is good before Him, He gives wisdom and knowledge and rejoicing; Yet to the sinner He gives the experience of gathering and of collecting wealth, To give it to one who is good before the One, Elohim; This too is vanity and a grazing on wind."