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Ecclesiastes 2

The Futility of Pleasure and Possessions

1

I said  1to myself, "Come now, I will test you with  apleasure. So  2enjoy yourself." And behold, it too was futility.

2

 aI said of laughter, "It is madness," and of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?"

3

I explored with my  1mind how to  astimulate my body with wine while my  1mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of  bfolly, until I could see  cwhat good there is for the sons of men  2to do under heaven the few  3years of their lives.

4

I enlarged my works: I  abuilt houses for myself, I planted  bvineyards for myself;

5

I made  agardens and  bparks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees;

6

I made  aponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees.

7

I bought male and female slaves and I had  1 ahomeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and  bherds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem.

8

Also, I collected for myself silver and  agold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself  bmale and female singers and the pleasures of men--many concubines.

9

Then I became  agreat and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.

10

 aAll that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my  breward for all my labor.

11

Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had  1exerted, and behold all was  2 avanity and striving after wind and there was  bno profit under the sun.

Wisdom Excels Folly

12

So I turned to  aconsider wisdom, madness and folly; for what will the man do who will come after the king except  bwhat has already been done?

13

And I saw that  awisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.

14

The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the  afool walks in darkness. And yet I know that  bone fate befalls them both.

15

Then I said  1to myself, " aAs is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me.  bWhy then have I been extremely wise?" So  2I said to myself, "This too is vanity."

16

For there is  ano  1lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And  bhow the wise man and the fool alike die!

17

So I  ahated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was  1grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.

The Futility of Labor

18

Thus I hated  aall the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must  bleave it to the man who will come after me.

19

And who knows whether he will be a wise man or  aa fool? Yet he will have  1control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is  bvanity.

20

Therefore I  1completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun.

21

When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and  askill, then he  bgives his  1legacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil.

22

For what does a man get in  aall his labor and in  1his striving with which he labors under the sun?

23

Because all his days his task is painful and  agrievous; even at night his  1mind  bdoes not rest. This too is vanity.

24

There is  anothing better for a man than to eat and drink and  1tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is  bfrom the hand of God.

25

For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without  1Him?

26

For to a person who is good in His sight  aHe has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may  bgive to one who is good in God's sight. This too is  cvanity and striving after wind.



Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995
by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved.
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(Produced: Sat Dec 22 11:23:35 2007)

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