Ecclesiastes, 2

1. I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also [is] vanity.

1. I said in my heart, "I will try pleasure! taste happiness!" But I found that was useless.

2. I said of laughter, [It is] mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?

2. Laughter is foolishness! As for pleasure, what good is it?

3. I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what [was] that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

3. I thought of cheering my body with wine while my heart searched for wisdom. So I gave myself to folly in order to find out what would be good for man to do under the sun throughout his life.

4. I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:

4. I did great things: I built houses and planted vineyards.

5. I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all [kind of] fruits:

5. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees.

6. I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:

6. I constructed reservoirs to irrigate the orchards.

7. I got [me] servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:

7. I bought slaves and servants and had slaves born in my household. I had flocks and herds in abundance more than anyone before me in Jerusalem.

8. I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, [as] musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

8. I acquired silver and gold - the wealth of kings and nations. I had choirmaster and singers and besides that, what most delights men.

9. So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

9. I became great, surpassing all my predecessors in Jerusalem without losing wisdom.

10. And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.

10. I refused myself nothing that my eyes desired nor did I deprive my heart of any pleasure. I enjoyed all I undertook and that was my reward for my work.

11. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all [was] vanity and vexation of spirit, and [there was] no profit under the sun.

11. Then I considered all I had achieved by my work and all the toil it had entailed and found that it was all meaningless and chasing wind. There is no profit under the sun.

12. And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what [can] the man [do] that cometh after the king? [even] that which hath been already done.

12. I then decided to compare wisdom with folly and madness and I thought, "What will my successor as king do?" (We know what he did!)

13. Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

13. I understood that wisdom is more profitable than folly, just as light is better than darkness:

14. The wise man's eyes [are] in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.

14. The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in darkness. But it dawned on me that the same fate overtakes them both.

15. Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also [is] vanity.

15. And I thought, "If the fate of the fool will be mine as well, what did my wisdom profit me?" I thought to myself that, too, is meaningless.

16. For [there is] no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now [is] in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise [man]? as the fool.

16. There is no more remembrance of the wise man than of the fool: both will be forgotten in the days to come. Why is a wise man's death like that of a fool?

17. Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun [is] grievous unto me: for all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.

17. So I hated life seeing the wrong in everything that is done under the sun: all is meaningless and chasing wind.

18. Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

18. I hated all I had labored for under the sun and which I must leave to my successor.

19. And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise [man] or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This [is] also vanity.

19. Who knows whether he will be foolish or wise? Yet he will be master of all

20. Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.

20. I have achieved by my own efforts and wisdom: that too is meaningless. And I began to despair in my heart over all my labor under the sun.

21. For there is a man whose labour [is] in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it [for] his portion. This also [is] vanity and a great evil.

21. For here was a man who toiled in all wisdom, knowledge and skill and he must leave all to someone who has not worked for it. This is meaningless and a great misfortune.

22. For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?

22. For what profit is there for a man in all his work and heart-searching under the sun?

23. For all his days [are] sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

23. All his days bring sorrow, his work grief; he hasn't, moreover, peaceful rest at night: that too is meaningless.

24. [There is] nothing better for a man, [than] that he should eat and drink, and [that] he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it [was] from the hand of God.

24. There is nothing better for man to do than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. I understood that this too comes from the hand of God.

25. For who can eat, or who else can hasten [hereunto], more than I?

25. For without him who can eat or find enjoyment?

26. For [God] giveth to a man that [is] good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to [him that is] good before God. This also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.

26. To the man who pleases him, he gives wisdom, knowledge and joy, while to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up what will be given to another who pleases God: this too is meaningless and chasing wind.