Ecclesiastes - Chapter 2 | King James Version (KJV)

  • 1. I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also {cf15I is} vanity.
  • 2. I said of laughter, {cf15I 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 {cf15I 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 {cf15I kind of} fruits:
  • 6. I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:
  • 7. I got {cf15I 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, {cf15I 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 {cf15I was} vanity and vexation of spirit, and {cf15I there was} no profit under the sun.
  • 12. And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what {cf15I can} the man {cf15I do} that cometh after the king? {cf15I 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 {cf15I 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 {cf15I is} vanity.
  • 16. For {cf15I there is} no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now {cf15I is} in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise {cf15I man}? as the fool.
  • 17. Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun {cf15I is} grievous unto me: for all {cf15I 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 {cf15I 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 {cf15I 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 {cf15I is} in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it {cf15I for} his portion. This also {cf15I 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 {cf15I are} sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
  • 24. {cf15I There is} nothing better for a man, {cf15I than} that he should eat and drink, and {cf15I that} he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it {cf15I was} from the hand of God.
  • 25. For who can eat, or who else can hasten {cf15I hereunto}, more than I?
  • 26. For {cf15I God} giveth to a man that {cf15I 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 {cf15I him that is} good before God. This also {cf15I is} vanity and vexation of spirit.
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