Ecclesiastes/Qohelet 2

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 I said to myself, "Come, now, let me try you with pleasure and the enjoyment of good things." But behold, this too was vanity.	1 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
2 Of laughter I said: "Mad!" and of mirth: "What good does this do?"	2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
3 I thought of beguiling my senses with wine, though my mind was concerned with wisdom, and of taking up folly, until I should understand what is best for men to do under the heavens during the limited days of their life.	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 was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
4 I undertook great works; I built myself houses and planted vineyards;	4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
5 I made gardens and parks, and set out in them fruit trees of all sorts.	5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
6 And I constructed for myself reservoirs to water a flourishing woodland.	6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:
7 I acquired male and female slaves, and slaves were born in my house. I also had growing herds of cattle and flocks of sheep, more than all who had been before me in Jerusalem.	7 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:
8 I amassed for myself silver and gold, and the wealth of kings and provinces. I got for myself male and female singers and all human luxuries.	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, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
9 I became great, and I stored up more than all others before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom, too, stayed with me.	9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
10 Nothing that my eyes desired did I deny them, nor did I deprive myself of any joy, but my heart rejoiced in the fruit of all my toil. This was my share for all my toil.	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 But when I turned to all the works that my hands had wrought, and to the toil at which I had taken such pains, behold! all was vanity and a chase after wind, with nothing gained under the sun.	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 was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 For what will the man do who is to come after the king? What men have already done! I went on to the consideration of wisdom, madness and folly.	12 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.
13 And I saw that wisdom has the advantage over folly as much as light has the advantage over darkness.	13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
14 The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness.Yet I knew that one lot befalls both of them.	14 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.
15 So I said to myself, if the fool's lot is to befall me also, why then should I be wise? Where is the profit for me? And I concluded in my heart that this too is vanity.	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 is vanity.
16 Neither of the wise man nor of the fool will there be an abiding remembrance, for in days to come both will have been forgotten. How is it that the wise man dies as well as the fool!	16 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.
17 Therefore I loathed life, since for me the work that is done under the sun is evil; for all is vanity and a chase after wind.	17 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.
18 And I detested all the fruits of my labor under the sun, because I must leave them to a man who is to come after me.	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 knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruits of my wise labor under the sun. This also is vanity.	19 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.
20 So my feelings turned to despair of all the fruits of my labor under the sun.	20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.
21 For here is a man who has labored with wisdom and knowledge and skill, and to another, who has not labored over it, he must leave his property. This also is vanity and a great misfortune.	21 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.
22 For what profit comes to a man from all the toil and anxiety of heart with which he has labored under the sun?	22 For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?
23 All his days sorrow and grief are his occupation; even at night his mind is not at rest. This also is vanity.	23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
24 There is nothing better for man than to eat and drink and provide himself with good things by his labors. Even this, I realized, is from the hand of God.	24 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.
25 For who can eat or drink apart from him?	25 For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?
26 For to whatever man he sees fit he gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering possessions to be given to whatever man God sees fit. This also is vanity and a chase after wind.	26 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.