Top of Page
Page Style
said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; so enjoy yourself.” But this also proved to be futile. 2 I said about laughter, “It is madness,” and about pleasure, “What does this accomplish?” 3 I tried cheering myself up with wine and embracing folly, while my mind continued guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for people to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.
4 I undertook monumental projects: I built houses and planted vineyards for myself; 5 I made gardens and parks for myself, and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I built reservoirs of water for myself to irrigate groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned many herds and flocks, more than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I also amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasures of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers for myself, and many concubines also—all the delights of men. 9 So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. In all this my wisdom remained with me.
10 All that my eyes desired, I did not keep from them.
I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure,
for my heart took delight in all my work,
and this was my reward for all my labour.
11 Yet when I considered all that my hands had accomplished,
and what I had toiled to achieve,
I found that everything was futile, a chasing after the wind;
there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
12 So I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom,
and also madness and folly;
for what can more can the king’s successor do
than has already been done?
13 Then I saw that wisdom is better than folly,
just as light is better than darkness.
14 The wise man has eyes in his head,
but the fool walks in darkness;
but I also realised
that the same fate awaits them both.
15 Then I said in my heart,
“What happens to the fool will also happen to me;
so what then have I gained from being so wise?”
And I said in my heart,
“This too is futile.”
16 For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered,
but in the days to come both will be forgotten.
How is it that the wise man must die just like the fool?
17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is futile and a chasing after the wind. 18 I hated all the things that I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the man who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether that person will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work that I worked skilfully to achieve under the sun. This too is futile. 20 So I grew despondent and my heart became filled with despair over all the toilsome work that I had laboured at under the sun. 21 For there is a man whose work was done with wisdom and knowledge and skill, yet he must leave all he owns to a man who has not worked for it. This too is futile and a terrible wrong. 22 What does a man get for all his efforts and anxious striving for which he has toiled under the sun? 23 For all his days are filled with pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is futile.
24 There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I saw was from God’s hand, 25 for without Him, who can eat and find enjoyment? 26 For God gives to the man who is pleasing in His sight wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand over to the one who pleases God. This too is futile and a chasing after the wind.