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The Futility of Pleasures
I said in my heart, Come now, I will try thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure. But behold, this also is vanity.
I said in my heart, Come now, I will try thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure. But behold, this also is vanity.
The Futility of Pleasure
I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless.
I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless.
I said of laughter, Madness! and of mirth, What availeth it?
So I said, “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?”
I searched in my heart how to cherish my flesh with wine, while practising my heart with wisdom; and how to lay hold on folly, till I should see what was that good for the children of men which they should do under the heavens all the days of their life.
After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world.
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards.
I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of every kind of fruit;
I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees.
I made me ponds of water, to water therewith the wood, where the trees are reared.
I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves.
I acquired servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that had been in Jerusalem before me.
I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me.
I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces; I got me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the children of men, a wife and concubines.
I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire!
And I became great, and increased more than all that had been before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed 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 from all my labour.
Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors.
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that it had cost me to do [them]; and behold, all was vanity and pursuit of the wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless — like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.
The Wise and the Foolish
And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly; for what shall the man [do] that cometh after the king? -- that which hath already been done.
And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly; for what shall the man [do] that cometh after the king? -- that which hath already been done.
And I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as light excelleth darkness.
I thought, “Wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness.
The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness; but I myself also perceived that one event happeneth to them all.
For the wise can see where they are going, but fools walk in the dark.” Yet I saw that the wise and the foolish share the same fate.
And I said in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool so will it happen even to me; and why was I then so wise? Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.
Both will die. So I said to myself, “Since I will end up the same as the fool, what’s the value of all my wisdom? This is all so meaningless!”
For there shall be no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; because everything is already forgotten in the days which come. And how dieth the wise even as the fool?
For the wise and the foolish both die. The wise will not be remembered any longer than the fool. In the days to come, both will be forgotten.
And I hated life; for the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.
So I came to hate life because everything done here under the sun is so troubling. Everything is meaningless — like chasing the wind.
The Futility of Work
And I hated all my labour wherewith I had been toiling under the sun, because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
And I hated all my labour wherewith I had been toiling under the sun, because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
The Futility of Work
I came to hate all my hard work here on earth, for I must leave to others everything I have earned.
And who knoweth whether he will be a wise [man] or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour at which I have laboured, and wherein I have been wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
And who can tell whether my successors will be wise or foolish? Yet they will control everything I have gained by my skill and hard work under the sun. How meaningless!
Then I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour wherewith I had laboured under the sun.
So I gave up in despair, questioning the value of all my hard work in this world.
For there is a man whose labour hath been with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill, and who leaveth it to a man that hath not laboured therein, to be his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
Some people work wisely with knowledge and skill, then must leave the fruit of their efforts to someone who hasn’t worked for it. This, too, is meaningless, a great tragedy.
For what will man have of all his labour and of the striving of his heart, wherewith he hath wearied himself under the sun?
So what do people get in this life for all their hard work and anxiety?
For all his days are sorrows, and his travail vexation: even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.
Their days of labor are filled with pain and grief; even at night their minds cannot rest. It is all meaningless.
There is nothing good for man, but 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.
So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God.
For who can eat, or who be eager, more than I?
For he 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 in God's sight. This also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.
God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him. But if a sinner becomes wealthy, God takes the wealth away and gives it to those who please him. This, too, is meaningless — like chasing the wind.