Ecclesiastes 2:2-11

English Standard Version

² I ^(A)said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” ³ I ^(B)searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on ^(C)folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. ⁴ I made great works. I ^(D)built houses and planted ^(E)vineyards for myself. ⁵ I made myself ^(F)gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. ⁶ I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. ⁷ I bought male and female slaves, and had ^(G)slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of ^(H)herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. ⁸ I also gathered for myself silver and ^(I)gold and the treasure of ^(J)kings and ^(K)provinces. I got ^(L)singers, both men and women, and many ^(M)concubines,^[a] the delight of the sons of man.

⁹ So I became great and ^(N)surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my ^(O)wisdom remained with me. ¹⁰ And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart ^(P)found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my ^(Q)reward for all my toil. ¹¹ Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was ^(R)vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing ^(S)to be gained under the sun.