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The Vanity of Pleasure and Possessions

¹ I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with ^(C1)gladness, so that you shall see good things." And behold, it too was vanity.^2 (C1)I said of laughter, "It is madness," and of gladness, "What does it do?"³ I explored with my heart how to ^(F1)(C1)stimulate my ^(F2)body with wine—while my heart was guiding me wisely—and how to seize ^(C2)simpleminded folly, until I could see ^(C3)where is this good for the sons of men in what they do under heaven the few days of their lives.⁴ I made my works great: I ^(C1)built houses for myself; I planted ^(C2)vineyards for myself;⁵ I made for myself ^(C1)gardens and ^(C2)parks, and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees;⁶ I made for myself ^(C1)pools of water from which to water a forest of growing trees.⁷ I bought male and female slaves, and I had ^(F1)(C1)homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and ^(C2)herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem.⁸ Also, I collected for myself silver and ^(C1)gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself ^(C2)male and female singers and the pleasures of the sons of men—many concubines.

⁹ Then I became ^(C1)great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.^10 (C1)All that my eyes asked for I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any gladness, for my heart was glad because of all my labor, and this was my ^(C2)reward for all my labor.¹¹ Thus I turned to all my works which my hands had done and the labor which I had labored to do, and behold, all was ^(F1)(C1)vanity and striving after wind, and there was ^(C2)no advantage under the sun.

Wisdom Excels Folly

¹² So I turned to ^(C1)see wisdom, madness, and simpleminded folly. What will the man do who will come after the king except ^(C2)what has already been done?¹³ And I saw that there is an advantage in ^(C1)wisdom over simpleminded folly as light has an advantage over darkness.¹⁴ The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the ^(C1)fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that the ^(C2)fate of one becomes the fate of all of them.¹⁵ Then I said in my heart, "^(C1)As is the fate of the fool, so will my fate be also. ^(C2)Why then have I been extremely wise?" So I said in my heart, "This too is vanity."¹⁶ For there is ^(C1)no remembrance of the wise man along with the fool forever, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And ^(C2)how the wise man dies with the fool!¹⁷ So I ^(C1)hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was ^(F1)grievous to me; because everything is vanity and striving after wind.

The Vanity of Labor

¹⁸ Thus I hated ^(C1)all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must ^(C2)leave it to the man who will come after me.¹⁹ And who knows whether he will be a wise man or ^(C1)a man of simpleminded folly? Yet he will have ^(F1)power over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored and for which I have acted wisely under the sun. This too is ^(C2)vanity.²⁰ Therefore I turned my heart to despair of all my labor for which I had labored under the sun.²¹ When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and ^(C1)skill, then he ^(C2)gives his portion to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil.²² For what does a man get in ^(C1)all his labor and in the striving of his heart with which he labors under the sun?²³ Because all his days his endeavor is painful and ^(C1)vexing; even at night his heart ^(C2)does not lie down. This too is vanity.

^24 (F1)There is ^(C1)nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and have his soul see good in his labor. This also I have seen that it is ^(C2)from the hand of God.²⁵ For who can eat and who can have enjoyment outside of ^(F1)Him?²⁶ For to a man who is good before Him, ^(C1)He has given wisdom and knowledge and gladness, while to the sinner He has given the endeavor of gathering and collecting so that he may ^(C2)give to one who is good before God. This too is ^(C3)vanity and striving after wind.