Jan 21, 2020
2 I said to myself, “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 madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” 3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.
4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees 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 male and female singers, and a harem[a] as well—the delights of a man’s heart. 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
labor,
and this was the reward for all my
toil.
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.
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 have eyes in their
heads,
while the fool walks in the
darkness;
but I came to realize
that the same fate overtakes them
both.