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CHAPTER 2
I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold,
this also
is
vanity.
2
I said of laughter,
It is
mad: and of mirth, What doeth 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.
4
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
5
I
made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all
kind of
fruits:
6
I made me pools
of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:
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:
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.
9
So I was great, and increased more than all
that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
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.
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.
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.
13
Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
20
Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the
labour which I took 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.
22
For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of
his heart, wherein he hath laboured 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.
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.
25
For who can
eat, or who else can hasten
hereunto,
more than I?
26
For
God
giveth to a man that
is
good in his
774
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