Ecc 2 | ABEn | STEP | I said in my heart, Come now indeed, I will test you with gladness, and therefore know good! And behold, also even this is folly.

‏ Ecclesiastes 2

CHAPTER 2 The Folly of Pleasure and Wealth

1 I said in my heart, Come now indeed, I will test you with gladness, and therefore know good! And behold, also even this is folly. 2 To laughter, I said, Deviation. and to gladness, Why do you do this? 3 And I surveyed if my heart would draw [²with ³wine ¹my flesh]; and my heart guided me in wisdom; and to hold upon gladness until I should see what kind was the good to the sons of men, which they shall do under the sun [²numbered ³days ⁴of life ¹with their]. 4 I magnified my action; I built to myself houses; I planted my vineyards. 5 I made to myself gardens and parks; and I planted in them a tree for every fruit. 6 I made to myself pools of waters to water by them the grove bursting forth rees. 7 I acquired manservants, and maidservants; and native-born servants were born to me; and indeed a possession [²herd ³and ⁴flock ¹of a great] became to me above all the ones being before me in Jerusalem. 8 I brought together to myself also indeed silver, and indeed gold, and prized possessions of kings and of the places. I prepared to myself male singers and female singers, and amusements of the sons of man; and male wine servers and female wine servers. 9 And I became magnified, and proceeded in wisdom past all the ones being before me in Jerusalem; and indeed my wisdom was established to me. 10 And all whatever [²asked for ¹my eyes] was not at a distance from them. I did not detain my heart from any gladness, for my heart was gladdened in all my effort. And this was my portion of all my effort. 11 And I looked upon all my actions, the things which I did by my hands, and on the effort in which I made an effort to do. And behold, all things were folly and a resolve of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun. 12 And I looked around to behold wisdom and deviation and folly; for who is the man who will come after counsel, with as much as they did it? 13 And I beheld that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly; as the advantage of the light over the darkness. 14 The wise man -- his eyes are in his head; but the fool [²in ³darkness ¹goes]. And I knew, even indeed I, that [²event ¹one] shall meet with all them. 15 And I said in my heart, As the event of the fool is, even indeed to me it shall meet up with me; and why have I discerned wisdom? And this extra I said in my heart, because the fool from out of abundance speaks, for even indeed this is folly. 16 For there is no remembrance of the wise man with the fool in the eon; in so far as already the [²days ¹coming] all things are forgotten; and how shall [³die ¹the ²wise man] with the fool? 17 And I was detested with life; for evil was upon me -- the action of doing a thing under the sun. For all is folly and a resolve of spirit. 18 And I detested all my effort which I made an effort under the sun. For I must leave it to the man coming after me. 19 And who knows if he will be a wise man or a fool? And if he exercises authority in all my effort in which I made an effort in, and in which I gained discernment under the sun. Even indeed this is folly. 20 And I turned to dismiss my heart upon all effort in which I made an effort under the sun. 21 For there is a man that made his effort in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in courage; and a man in whom did not make an effort -- in him he will give to him his portion. And indeed this is folly and [²wickedness ¹great] 22 What happens to the man in all his effort, and in resolve of his heart in which he makes an effort under the sun? 23 For in all his days are pains and rage of his distraction; and indeed in night [³does not ⁴go to bed ²heart ¹his]. And indeed this is folly. 24 There is not a good thing to man unless to eat and to drink, and to show his soul good in his effort. And indeed this I knew, that [²from ³the hand ⁴of God ¹it is]. 25 For who shall eat, and who shall drink besides him? 26 For to the man, to the one good before his face, he gave wisdom, and knowledge, and gladness. And to the one sinning, he gave distraction to be added and to bring together; so as to give to the good man before the face of God. For even indeed this is folly and resolve of spirit.