1 I said in my heart, Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore regard pleasure; and this was vanity.
2 I said of laughter, It is madness; and of mirth, What does it accomplish?
3 I sought in my heart to gratify my flesh with wine, while leading my heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, until I might find out what was good for the sons of men to do under the heavens all the days of their life.
4 I made my works great; I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself.
5 I made gardens and orchards for myself, and I planted trees in them, of all kinds of fruit.
6 I made pools of water for myself, to water the forest springing up with trees.
7 I have bought slaves and maids, and had servants born in my house; I also had more livestock, herds and flocks, than all were before me in Jerusalem.
8 I also gathered silver and gold to myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got men singers and women singers for myself, and the delights of the sons of men, wives and concubines.
9 I was great and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me.
10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them; I did not withhold my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labor, and this was my share from all my labor.
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all was vanity and striving of spirit; and there was no profit under the sun.
12 And I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what can the man do who comes after the king, when it has already been done?
13 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.
14 The wise mans eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness; and I also considered that one event happens to them all.
15 Then I said in my heart, As it happens to the fool, so it happens even to me; and why was I then more wise? And I said in my heart that this also is vanity.
16 For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool forever, since that which is now shall all be forgotten in the days to come. And how does the wise man die? Same as the fool!
17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is done under the sun is evil to me; for all is vanity and striving of spirit.
18 Yes, I hated all my labor which I had done under the sun; because I must leave it to the man who shall come after me.
19 And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he shall have rule over all my labor in which I have labored, and acted wisely under the sun. This also is vanity.
20 Therefore I turned my heart to despair over all the labor in which I had labored under the sun.
21 For there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and with success; yet he shall leave it as inheritance to a man who has not labored in it. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 For what has man from all his labor, and from the striving of his heart, in which he has labored under the sun?
23 For all his days are sorrows, and his task grief; yea, his heart does not take rest in the night. This also is vanity.
24 Is it not good for a man to eat and drink and make his soul behold the good in his labor. This also, I saw, that it was from the hand of God.
25 For who can eat, or who can enjoy, apart from Me?
26 For God gives wisdom, and knowledge, and joy to a man who is good in His sight. But to the sinner He gives labor, to collect and gather, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and striving of spirit.