The Emptiness of Pleasure

I said to myself, “Go ahead, I will test you with pleasure;(A) enjoy what is good.” But it turned out to be futile. I said about laughter,(B) “It is madness,” and about pleasure, “What does this accomplish?” 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)

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Notas al pie

  1. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Lit to pull my body
  2. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Two Hb mss, LXX, Syr read the sun

The Futility of Pleasure

I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless. So I said, “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?” After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world.

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