Bible Verses About Pleasure

Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he conceals it under his tongue,

though he cannot bear to let it go and keeps it in his mouth,

yet in his stomach his food sours into the venom of cobras within him.

He swallows wealth but vomits it out; God will force it from his stomach.

He will suck the poison of cobras; the fangs of a viper will kill him.

singing to the tambourine and lyre and making merry at the sound of the flute.

They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol in peace.

“Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is tasty!”

Folly is joy to one who lacks judgment, but a man of understanding walks a straight path.

He who loves pleasure will become poor; the one who loves wine and oil will never be rich.

So I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of the wind.

I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good!” But it proved to be futile.

I said of laughter, “It is folly,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”

I sought to cheer my body with wine and to embrace folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—until I could see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

I expanded my pursuits. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.

I made gardens and parks for myself, where I planted all kinds of fruit trees.

I built reservoirs to water my groves of flourishing trees.

I acquired menservants and maidservants, and servants were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me,

and I accumulated for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered to myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men—many concubines.

So I became great and surpassed all in Jerusalem who had preceded me; and my wisdom remained with me.

Anything my eyes desired, I did not deny myself. I refused my heart no pleasure. For my heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.

Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

Then I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what more can the king’s successor do than what has already been accomplished?

And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness:

Woe to those who rise early in the morning in pursuit of strong drink, who linger into the evening, to be inflamed by wine.