^{1 Ref} I said in my heart, `Pray, come, I try thee with mirth, and look thou on gladness;' and lo, even it `is' vanity.

^{2 Ref} Of laughter I said, `Foolish!' and of mirth, `What `is' this it is doing?'

^{3 Ref} I have sought in my heart to draw out with wine my appetite, (and my heart leading in wisdom), and to take hold on folly till that I see where `is' this -- the good to the sons of man of that which they do under the heavens, the number of the days of their lives.

^{4 Ref} I made great my works, I builded for me houses, I planted for me vineyards.

^{5 Ref} I made for me gardens and paradises, and I planted in them trees of every fruit.

^{6 Ref} I made for me pools of water, to water from them a forest shooting forth trees.

^{7 Ref} I got men-servants, and maid-servants, and sons of the house were to me; also, I had much substance -- herd and flock -- above all who had been before me in Jerusalem.

^{8 Ref} I gathered for me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces. I prepared for me men-singers and women-singers, and the luxuries of the sons of man -- a wife and wives.

^{9 Ref} And I became great, and increased above every one who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood with me.

^{10 Ref} And all that mine eyes asked I kept not back from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labour, and this hath been my portion, from all my labour,

^{11 Ref} and I have looked on all my works that my hands have done, and on the labour that I have laboured to do, and lo, the whole `is' vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun!

^{12 Ref} And I turned to see wisdom, and madness, and folly, but what `is' the man who cometh after the king? that which `is' already -- they have done it!

^{13 Ref} And I saw that there is an advantage to wisdom above folly, like the advantage of the light above the darkness.

^{14 Ref} The wise! -- his eyes `are' in his head, and the fool in darkness is walking, and I also knew that one event happeneth with them all;

^{15 Ref} and I said in my heart, `As it happeneth with the fool, it happeneth also with me, and why am I then more wise?' And I spake in my heart, that also this `is' vanity:

^{16 Ref} That there is no remembrance to the wise -- with the fool -- to the age, for that which `is' already, `in' the days that are coming is all forgotten, and how dieth the wise? with the fool!

^{17 Ref} And I have hated life, for sad to me `is' the work that hath been done under the sun, for the whole `is' vanity and vexation of spirit.

^{18 Ref} And I have hated all my labour that I labour at under the sun, because I leave it to a man who is after me.

^{19 Ref} And who knoweth whether he is wise or foolish? yet he doth rule over all my labour that I have laboured at, and that I have done wisely under the sun! this also `is' vanity.

^{20 Ref} And I turned round to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour that I laboured at under the sun.

^{21 Ref} For there is a man whose labour `is' in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity, and to a man who hath not laboured therein he giveth it -- his portion! Even this `is' vanity and a great evil.

^{22 Ref} For what hath been to a man by all his labour, and by the thought of his heart that he laboured at under the sun?

^{23 Ref} For all his days are sorrows, and his travail sadness; even at night his heart hath not lain down; this also `is' vanity.

^{24 Ref} There is nothing good in a man who eateth, and hath drunk, and hath shewn his soul good in his labour. This also I have seen that it `is' from the hand of God.

^{25 Ref} For who eateth and who hasteth out more than I?

^{26 Ref} For to a man who `is' good before Him, He hath given wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; and to a sinner He hath given travail, to gather and to heap up, to give to the good before God. Even this `is' vanity and vexation of spirit.

^{1 Ref} I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also was vanity.

^{2 Ref} I said of laughter, It is mad; and of mirth, What doeth it?

^{3 Ref} I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding `me' with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their life.

^{4 Ref} I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;

^{5 Ref} I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit;

^{6 Ref} I made me pools of water, to water therefrom the forest where trees were reared;

^{7 Ref} I bought men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that were before me in Jerusalem;

^{8 Ref} I gathered me also silver and gold, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces; I gat me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

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

^{10 Ref} And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor; and this was my portion from all my labor.

^{11 Ref} Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

^{12 Ref} 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 done long ago.

^{13 Ref} Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

^{14 Ref} The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness: and yet I perceived that one event happeneth to them all.

^{15 Ref} Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then said I in my heart, that this also is vanity.

^{16 Ref} For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. And how doth the wise man die even as the fool!

^{17 Ref} So I hated life, because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.

^{18 Ref} And I hated all my labor wherein I labored under the sun, seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

^{19 Ref} And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he have rule over all my labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

^{20 Ref} Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor wherein I had labored under the sun.

^{21 Ref} For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skilfulness; yet to a man that hath not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

^{22 Ref} For what hath a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he laboreth under the sun?

^{23 Ref} For all his days are `but' sorrows, and his travail is grief; yea, even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.

^{24 Ref} There is nothing better for a man `than' that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.

^{25 Ref} For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?

^{26 Ref} For to the man that pleaseth him `God' giveth 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 pleaseth God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.