The Emptiness of Pleasure

2 I said to myself, “Go ahead, I will test you with pleasure;^(A) enjoy what is good.” But it turned out to be futile. ² I said about laughter,^(B) “It is madness,” and about pleasure, “What does this accomplish?” ³ I explored with my mind how to let my body enjoy life^[a] with wine^(C) and how to grasp folly^(D)—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—until I could see what is good for people to do under heaven^[b] during the few days of their lives.^(E)

The Emptiness of Possessions

⁴ I increased my achievements. I built houses^(F) and planted vineyards^(G) for myself. ⁵ I made gardens^(H) and parks for myself and planted every kind of fruit tree in them. ⁶ I constructed reservoirs of water for myself from which to irrigate a grove of flourishing trees.^{(I) 7} I acquired male and female servants and had slaves who were born in my house.^(J) I also owned many herds of cattle and flocks, more than all who were before me in Jerusalem.^{(K) 8} I also amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces.^(L) I gathered male and female singers for myself,^(M) and many concubines, the delights of men.^{[c][d] 9} So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem;^(N) my wisdom also remained with me. ¹⁰ All that my eyes desired, I did not deny them.^(O) I did not refuse myself any pleasure, for I took pleasure in all my struggles. This was my reward for all my struggles.^{(P) 11} When I considered all that I had accomplished^[e] and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind.^(Q) There was nothing to be gained under the sun.^(R)

The Relative Value of Wisdom

¹² Then I turned to consider wisdom,^(S) madness, and folly, for what will the man be like who comes after the king? He^[f] will do what has already been done.^{(T) 13} And I realized that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly, like the advantage of light over darkness.^(U)

Yet I also knew that one fate comes to them both.^{(W) 15} So I said to myself, “What happens to the fool will also happen to me. Why then have I been overly wise?”^(X) And I said to myself that this is also futile. ¹⁶ For, just like the fool, there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man,^(Y) since in the days to come both will be forgotten. How is it that the wise man dies just like the fool? ¹⁷ Therefore, I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

The Emptiness of Work

¹⁸ I hated all my work that I labored at under the sun^(Z) because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.^{(AA) 19} And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool?^(AB) Yet he will take over all my work that I labored at skillfully under the sun. This too is futile. ²⁰ So I began to give myself over^[g] to despair concerning all my work that I had labored at under the sun. ²¹ When there is a man whose work was done with wisdom, knowledge, and skill,^(AC) and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great wrong. ²² For what does a man get with all his work and all his efforts^(AD) that he labors at under the sun? ²³ For all his days are filled with grief, and his occupation is sorrowful;^(AE) even at night, his mind does not rest.^(AF) This too is futile.

²⁴ There is nothing better for man than to eat, drink, and enjoy^[h][i] his work.^(AG) I have seen that even this is from God’s hand,^{(AH) 25} because who can eat and who can enjoy life^[j] apart from Him?^{[k] 26} For to the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy,^(AI) but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and accumulating in order to give to the one who is pleasing in God’s sight.^(AJ) This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.^(AK)