Ecclesiastes2

The Preacher recounts his extensive pursuit of pleasure, great works, and wisdom, seeking what is good for mankind. Despite achieving immense wealth and power, he concludes that all these endeavors are ultimately "vanity and vexation of spirit." He observes that both the wise and the fool share the same fate, leading him to despair over his labour. Ultimately, he finds that enjoying one's work is a gift from God, though the sinner's toil remains vanity.

Testing Pleasure and Folly

1
I said in my heart, `Pray, come, I try thee with mirth, and look thou on gladness;' and lo, even it is vanity.
2
Of laughter I said, `Foolish!' and of mirth, `What is this it is doing?'
3
I have sought in my heart to draw out with wine my appetite, (and my heart leading in wisdom), and to take hold on folly till that I see where is this--the good to the sons of man of that which they do under the heavens, the number of the days of their lives.

Testing Achievements and Wealth

4
I made great my works, I builded for me houses, I planted for me vineyards.
5
I made for me gardens and paradises, and I planted in them trees of every fruit.
6
I made for me pools of water, to water from them a forest shooting forth trees.
7
I got men-servants, and maid-servants, and sons of the house were to me; also, I had much substance--herd and flock--above all who had been before me in Jerusalem.
8
I gathered for me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces. I prepared for me men-singers and women-singers, and the luxuries of the sons of man--a wife and wives.
9
And I became great, and increased above every one who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood with me.
10
And all that mine eyes asked I kept not back from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labour, and this hath been my portion, from all my labour,
11
and I have looked on all my works that my hands have done, and on the labour that I have laboured to do, and lo, the whole is vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun!

The Futility of Wisdom and Folly

12
And I turned to see wisdom, and madness, and folly, but what is the man who cometh after the king? that which is already--they have done it!
13
And I saw that there is an advantage to wisdom above folly, like the advantage of the light above the darkness.
14
The wise! --his eyes are in his head, and the fool in darkness is walking, and I also knew that one event happeneth with them all;
15
and I said in my heart, `As it happeneth with the fool, it happeneth also with me, and why am I then more wise?' And I spake in my heart, that also this is vanity:
16
That there is no remembrance to the wise--with the fool--to the age, for that which is already, in the days that are coming is all forgotten, and how dieth the wise? with the fool!
17
And I have hated life, for sad to me is the work that hath been done under the sun, for the whole is vanity and vexation of spirit.

The Anxiety of Labor and Inheritance

18
And I have hated all my labour that I labour at under the sun, because I leave it to a man who is after me.
19
And who knoweth whether he is wise or foolish? yet he doth rule over all my labour that I have laboured at, and that I have done wisely under the sun! this also is vanity.
20
And I turned round to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour that I laboured at under the sun.
21
For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity, and to a man who hath not laboured therein he giveth it--his portion! Even this is vanity and a great evil.
22
For what hath been to a man by all his labour, and by the thought of his heart that he laboured at under the sun?
23
For all his days are sorrows, and his travail sadness; even at night his heart hath not lain down; this also is vanity.

The Gift of Enjoyment from God

24
There is nothing good in a man who eateth, and hath drunk, and hath shewn his soul good in his labour. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.
25
For who eateth and who hasteth out more than I?
26
For to a man who is good before Him, He hath given wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; and to a sinner He hath given travail, to gather and to heap up, to give to the good before God. Even this is vanity and vexation of spirit.
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