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- I thought in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good." But that also proved to be meaningless.
- "Laughter," I said, "is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?"
- I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly--my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.
- I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards.
- I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.
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- I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
- I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
- 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 was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
- I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
- I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
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- I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees.
- 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.
- I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well--the delights of the heart of man.
- I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.
- I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.
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- I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:
- I got 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:
- 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, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
- So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
- 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.
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- 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.
- 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?
- I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness.
- The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both.
- Then I thought in my heart, "The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?" I said in my heart, "This too is meaningless."
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- 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 was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
- 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 already done.
- Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
- The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.
- 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 is vanity.
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- For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered; in days to come both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die!
- So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
- I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.
- And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless.
- So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun.
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- For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.
- Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
- 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.
- And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise 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 is also vanity.
- Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.
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- For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.
- What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun?
- All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.
- A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God,
- for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?
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- For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
- For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?
- For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
- There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.
- For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?
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- To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
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- For God giveth to a man that 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 him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
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