1I said in my heart , Come now , I will prove thee with mirth ; therefore enjoy pleasure : and , behold , this also was vanity . 2I said of laughter , It is mad ; and of mirth , What doeth it ? 3I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine , my heart yet guiding me with wisdom , and how to lay hold on folly , till I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their life . 4I made me great works ; I builded me houses ; I planted me vineyards ; 5I made me gardens and parks , and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit ; 6I made me pools of water , to water therefrom the forest where trees were reared; 7I bought men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house ; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks , above all that were before me in Jerusalem ; 8I gathered me also silver and gold , and the treasure of kings and of the provinces ; I gat me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men , musical instruments , and that of all sorts. 9So I was great , and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem : also my wisdom remained with me . 10And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them ; I withheld not my heart from any joy ; for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor ; and this was my portion from all my labor . 11Then 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 vanity and a striving after wind , and there was no profit under the sun .
The Pursuit of Wisdom
12And I turned myself to behold wisdom , and madness , and folly : for what can the man do that cometh after the king ? even that which hath been done long ago. 13Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly , as far as light excelleth darkness . 14The wise man ’s eyes are in his head , and the fool walketh in darkness : and yet I perceived that one event happeneth to them all . 15Then said I in my heart , As it happeneth to the fool , so will it happen even to me ; and why was I then more wise ? Then said I in my heart , that this also is vanity . 16For of the wise man , even as of the fool , there is no remembrance for ever ; seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten . And how doth the wise man die even as the fool ! 17So I hated life , because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me ; for all is vanity and a striving after wind .
The Burden of Toil
18And I hated all my labor wherein I labored under the sun , seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me . 19And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool ? yet will he have rule over all my labor wherein I have labored , and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun . This also is vanity . 20Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor wherein I had labored under the sun . 21For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom , and with knowledge , and with skilfulness; yet to a man that hath not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion . This also is vanity and a great evil . 22For what hath a man of all his labor , and of the striving of his heart , wherein he laboreth under the sun ? 23For all his days are but sorrows , and his travail is grief ; yea , even in the night his heart taketh no rest . This also is vanity .
Finding Joy in the Present
24There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink , and make his soul enjoy good in his labor . This also I saw , that it is from the hand of God . 25For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment , more than I ? 26For to the man that pleaseth him God giveth wisdom , and knowledge , and joy ; but to the sinner he giveth travail , to gather and to heap up , that he may give to him that pleaseth God . This also is vanity and a striving after wind .