Ecclesiastes

¹The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

²“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

¹²I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. ¹³I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with. ¹⁴I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind. ¹⁵That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.

¹I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure;” and behold, this also was vanity. ²I said of laughter, “It is foolishness;” and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?”

³I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives. ⁴I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards. ⁵I made myself gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit. ⁶I made myself pools of water, to water the forest where trees were grown. ⁷I bought male servants and female servants, and had servants born in my house. I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all who were before me in Jerusalem. ⁸I also gathered silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men: musical instruments of all sorts. ⁹So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me. ¹⁰Whatever my eyes desired, I didn’t keep from them. I didn’t withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor. ¹¹Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and behold, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

¹²I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly; for what can the king’s successor do? Just that which has been done long ago. ¹³Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness. ¹⁴The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness—and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all. ¹⁵Then I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity. ¹⁶For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory forever, since in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool!

¹⁷So I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind. ¹⁸I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.

¹Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw near, when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them;”

¹³This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.