Ecclesiastes
Chapter 2
1 I told myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure and have fun.” But this, too, turned out to be meaningless.
2 I said about laughter, “It’s crazy,” and about joy, “What does it do?”
3 I decided to enjoy wine while keeping wise, and to embrace foolishness, until I could understand what is truly good for people to do throughout their lives.
4 I made great projects; I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself.
5 I created gardens and orchards for myself, and in them I planted all types of fruit trees.
6 I made pools of water to water the forest that grows trees.
7 I got myself workers and maids, and had workers born in my house; I also had many herds of large and small animals, more than anyone in Jerusalem before me.
8 I collected silver and gold for myself, and special treasures from kings and regions. I got male and female singers, and all kinds of musical pleasures that people enjoy.
9 I became very great, more than anyone in Jerusalem before me; my wisdom stayed with me.
10 Whatever my eyes wanted, I did not keep from them. I did not deny my heart any joy; my heart was happy in all my work, and this was my reward from all my work.
11 I looked at everything I had done and all the hard work I had put in, and I saw that it was all pointless and frustrating, and there was no real gain to be had on earth.
12 I looked to understand wisdom, madness, and folly: for what can a person do who follows the king? Only what has already been done.
13 I saw that wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness.
14 A wise person uses their mind, but a fool lives without guidance. I also noticed that the same things happen to everyone.
15 I thought to myself, “What happens to fools will happen to me too. So why have I been so wise?” I realized that this is also meaningless.
16 People won’t remember the wise more than the fool forever; because what exists now will be forgotten in the future. And the wise person dies just like the fool.
17 So I disliked life because the work done under the sun troubled me; it all seemed pointless and frustrating.
18 Yes, I hated all my hard work under the sun because I must leave it to the person who will come after me.
19 Who knows if he will be wise or foolish? Yet he will control all my hard work where I have been wise. This too is pointless.
20 So, I lost hope over all the hard work I had done under the sun.
21 There is a person who works with wisdom, knowledge, and fairness; but he will leave what he has worked for to another who hasn’t worked for it. This too is meaningless and a big problem.
22 What does a person gain from all their work and the troubles that make their heart worry, which they experience in their life under the sun?
23 Every day is full of sadness and his work brings grief; even at night, his mind finds no rest. This too is meaningless.
24 The best thing for a person is to eat, drink, and enjoy good things from their work. I saw that this too comes from God.
25 Who can eat or enjoy life more than I?
26 God gives a good person wisdom, knowledge, and happiness, but gives a sinner hard work to collect and pile up wealth only to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless and frustrating.