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The Futility of Pleasure and Possessions

¹ I said ^(F1)to myself, "Come now, I will test you with ^(C1)pleasure. So ^(F2)enjoy yourself." And behold, it too was futility.^2 (C1)I said of laughter, "It is senseless," and of pleasure, "What does this accomplish?"³ I explored with my ^(F1)mind how to ^(C1)refresh my body with wine while my ^(F1)mind was guiding me wisely; and how to seize ^(C2)foolishness, until I could see ^(C3)what good there is for the sons of mankind ^(F2)to do under heaven for the few ^(F3)years of their lives.⁴ I enlarged my works: I ^(C1)built houses for myself, I planted ^(C2)vineyards for myself;⁵ I made ^(C1)gardens and ^(C2)parks for myself, and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees;⁶ I made ^(C1)ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees.⁷ I bought male and female slaves, and I had ^(F1)(C1)slaves born at home. I also possessed flocks and ^(C2)herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem.⁸ I also amassed 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 mankind: 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 desired, I did not refuse them. I did not restrain my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor; and this was my ^(C2)reward for all my labor.¹¹ So I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had ^(F1)exerted, and behold, all was ^(C1)futility and striving after wind, and there was ^(C2)no benefit under the sun.

Wisdom Surpasses Foolishness

¹² So I turned to ^(C1)consider wisdom, insanity, and foolishness; for what will the man do who will come after the king, except ^(C2)what has already been done?¹³ Then I saw that ^(C1)wisdom surpasses foolishness as light surpasses darkness.¹⁴ The wise person's eyes are in his head, but the ^(C1)fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that ^(C2)one and the same fate happens to ^(F1)both of them.¹⁵ Then I said ^(F1)to myself, "^(C1)As is the fate of the fool, it will also happen to me. ^(C2)Why then have I been extremely wise?" So ^(F2)I said to myself, "This too is futility."¹⁶ For there is ^(C1)no ^(F1)lasting remembrance of the wise, along with the fool, since in the coming days everything will ^(F2)soon be forgotten. And ^(C2)how the wise and the fool alike die!¹⁷ So I ^(C1)hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was ^(F1)unhappy to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.

The Futility of Labor

¹⁸ So I hated ^(C1)all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, because I must ^(C2)leave it to the man who will come after me.¹⁹ And who knows whether he will be wise or ^(C1)a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is ^(C2)futility.²⁰ Therefore I ^(F1)completely despaired over all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun.²¹ When there is a person who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and ^(C1)skill, and then ^(C2)gives his ^(F1)legacy to one who has not labored for it; this too is futility and a great evil.²² For what does a person get in ^(C1)all his labor and in ^(F1)his striving with which he labors under the sun?²³ Because all his days his activity is painful and ^(C1)irritating; even at night his ^(F1)mind ^(C2)does not rest. This too is futility.

²⁴ There is ^(C1)nothing better for a person than to eat and drink, and show ^(F1)himself some good in his trouble. This too I have seen, that it is ^(C2)from the hand of God.²⁵ For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without ^(F1)Him?²⁶ For to a person who is good in His sight, ^(C1)He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may ^(C2)give to one who is good in God's sight. This too is ^(C3)futility and striving after wind.