I
thought in my heart,
'Come
now, I will Test you with Pleasure to find out what is good.'
BUT
THAT ALSO PROVED TO BE MEANINGLESS.
2
'Laughter,' I said, 'is foolish.
And
what does Pleasure accomplish?'
3 I
tried cheering my self with wine, and embracing folly--
My
mind still guiding me with wisdom.
I
wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under Heaven
During
the few days of their lives.
5 I
undertook great projects:
I
built houses for myself and dens and parks
And
planted all kinds of fruit tees in them.
6 I
made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees.
7 I
bought male and female slaves
And
had other slaves who were born in my house.
I
also owned more herds and flocks
Than
anyone in Jerusalem before me.
8 I
amassed silver and gold for myself,
And
the treasure of kings and provinces.
I
acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well--
9 I
became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me.
In
all this my wisdom stayed with me.
10
I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I
refused my heart no Pleasure.
My
heart took delight in all my work,
And
this was the Reward for all my labor.
11
Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
And
what I had toiled to achieve,
EVERYTHING
WAS MEANINGLESS,
A
chasing after the wind;
NOTHING
WAS GAINED UNDER THE SUN.
Wisdom
And Folly Are Meaningless
12
Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom,
And
also madness and folly.
What
more can the king's successor do
Than
what has already been done?
13
I saw that wisdom is better than folly,
Just
as light is better than darkness.
14
The wise man has eyes in his head,
While
the fool walks in the darkness;
But
I came to realize
That
the same fate overtakes them both.
15
Then I thought in my heart,
'The
fate of the fool will overtake me also.
What
then do I gain by being wise?'
I
SAID IN MY HEART, 'THIS TOO IS MEANINGLESS.'
16
For the wise man, like the fool,
Will
not be long remembered;
In
days to come both will be forgotten.
Like
the fool, the wise man too Must Die!
Toil
Is Meaningless
17
SO I HATED LIFE,
Because
the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me.
ALL
OF IT IS MEANINGLESS, A CHASING AFTER THE WIND.
18
I HATED ALL THINGS I HAD TOILED FOR UNDER THE SUN,
BECAUSE
I MUST LEAVE THEM TO THE ONE WHO COME AFTER ME.
19
And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool?
Yet
he will have control over all the work
Into
which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun.
THIS
TOO IS MEANINGLESS.
20
So my heart began to despair
Over
all my toilsome labor under the sun.
21
For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill,
And
then he must leave all he owns
To
someone who had not worked for it.
THIS
TOO IS MEANINGLESS AND A GREAT MISFORTUNE.
22
WHAT DOES A MAN GET
FOR
ALL THE TOIL AND ANXIOUS STRIVING
WITH
WHICH HE LABORS UNDER THE SUN?
23
ALL HIS DAYS WORK IS PAIN AND GRIEF;
Even
at night his mind does not rest.
THIS
TOO IS MEANINGLESS.
24
A MAN CAN DO NOTHING BETTER
THAN
TO EAT AND DRINK AND FIND SATISFACTION IN HIS WORK.
THIS
TOO, I SEE, IS FROM THE HAND OF GOD,
25
For without Him, who can eat or find Enjoyment?
26
TO THE MAN WHO PLEASES HIM,
GOD
GIVES WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE AND HAPPINESS,
But
to the Sinner
He
gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth
To
hand it over to the one who Pleases God.
THIS
TOO IS MEANINGLESS, A CHASING AFTER THE WIND.
(Ecclesiastes
2)
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