Ecclesiastes/Qohelet 2

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 I thought to myself, 'Very wel , I wil try pleasure and see what enjoyment has to offer.' And this wasfutile too.	1 I said in my heart: “I will go forth and overflow with delights, and I will enjoy good things.” And I saw that this, too, is emptiness.
2 This laughter, I reflected, is a madness, this pleasure no use at al .	2 Laughter, I considered an error. And to rejoicing, I said: “Why are you being deceived, to no purpose?”
3 I decided to hand my body over to drinking wine, my mind still guiding me in wisdom; I resolved toembrace folly, to discover the best way for people to spend their days under the sun.	3 I decided in my heart to withdraw my flesh from wine, so that I might bring my mind to wisdom, and turn away from foolishness, until I see what is useful for the sons of men, and what they ought to do under the sun, during the number of the days of their life.
4 I worked on a grand scale: built myself palaces, planted vineyards;	4 I magnified my works. I built houses for myself, and I planted vineyards.
5 made myself gardens and orchards, planting every kind of fruit tree in them;	5 I made gardens and orchards. And I planted them with trees of every kind.
6 had pools made for watering the young trees of my plantations.	6 And I dug out fishponds of water, so that I might irrigate the forest of growing trees.
7 I bought slaves, male and female, had home-born slaves as wel ; herds and flocks I had too, more thananyone in Jerusalem before me.	7 I obtained men and women servants, and I had a great family, as well as herds of cattle and great flocks of sheep, beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem.
8 I amassed silver and gold, the treasures of kings and provinces; acquired singers, men and women,and every human luxury, chest upon chest of it.	8 I amassed for myself silver and gold, and the wealth of kings and governors. I chose men and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, bowls and pitchers for the purpose of pouring wine.
9 So I grew great, greater than anyone in Jerusalem before me; nor did my wisdom leave me.	9 And I surpassed in opulence all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also persevered with me.
10 I denied my eyes nothing that they desired, refused my heart no pleasure, for I found all my hard worka pleasure, such was the return for al my efforts.	10 And all that my eyes desired, I did not refuse them. Neither did I prohibit my heart from enjoying every pleasure, and from amusing itself in the things that I had prepared. And I regarded this as my share, as if I were making use of my own labors.
11 I then reflected on al that my hands had achieved and all the effort I had put into its achieving. Whatfutility it al was, what chasing after the wind! There is nothing to be gained under the sun.	11 But when I turned myself toward all the works that my hands had made, and to the labors in which I had perspired to no purpose, I saw emptiness and affliction of the soul in all things, and that nothing is permanent under the sun.
12 My reflections then turned to wisdom, stupidity and fol y. For instance, what can the successor of aking do? What has been done already.	12 I continued on, so as to contemplate wisdom, as well as error and foolishness. “What is man,” I said, “that he would be able to follow his Maker, the King?”
13 More is to be gained from wisdom than from fol y, just as one gains more from light than fromdarkness; this, of course, I see:	13 And I saw that wisdom surpasses foolishness, so much so that they differ as much as light from darkness.
14 The wise have their eyes open, the fool walks in the dark. No doubt! But I know, too, that one fateawaits them both.	14 The eyes of a wise man are in his head. A foolish man walks in darkness. Yet I learned that one would pass away like the other.
15 'Since the fool's fate', I thought to myself, 'will be my fate too, what is the point of my having beenwise?' I realised that this too is futile.	15 And I said in my heart: “If the death of both the foolish and myself will be one, how does it benefit me, if I have given myself more thoroughly to the work of wisdom?” And as I was speaking within my own mind, I perceived that this, too, is emptiness.
16 For there is no lasting memory for the wise or the fool, and in the days to come both will be forgotten;the wise, no less than the fool, must die.	16 For there will not be a remembrance in perpetuity of the wise, nor of the foolish. And the future times will cover everything together, with oblivion. The learned die in a manner similar to the unlearned.
17 Life I have come to hate, for what is done under the sun disgusts me, since al is futility and chasingafter the wind.	17 And, because of this, my life wearied me, since I saw that everything under the sun is evil, and everything is empty and an affliction of the spirit.
18 All I have toiled for under the sun and now bequeath to my successor I have come to hate;	18 Again, I detested all my efforts, by which I had earnestly labored under the sun, to be taken up by an heir after me,
19 who knows whether he wil be wise or a fool? Yet he wil be master of al the work into which I have putmy efforts and wisdom under the sun. That is futile too.	19 though I know not whether he will be wise or foolish. And yet he will have power over my labors, in which I have toiled and been anxious. And is there anything else so empty?
20 I have come to despair of all the efforts I have expended under the sun.	20 Therefore, I ceased, and my heart renounced further laboring under the sun.
21 For here is one who has laboured wisely, skilfully and successful y and must leave what is his own tosomeone who has not toiled for it at al . This is futile too, and grossly unjust;	21 For when someone labors in wisdom, and doctrine, and prudence, he leaves behind what he has obtained to one who is idle. So this, too, is emptiness and a great burden.
22 for what does he gain for al the toil and strain that he has undergone under the sun-	22 For how can a man benefit from all his labor and affliction of spirit, by which he has been tormented under the sun?
23 since his days are ful of sorrow, his work is ful of stress and even at night he has no peace of mind?This is futile too.	23 All his days have been filled with sorrows and hardships; neither does he rest his mind, even in the night. And is this not emptiness?
24 There is no happiness except in eating and drinking, and in enjoying one's achievements; and I seethat this too comes from God's hand;	24 Is it not better to eat and drink, and to show his soul the good things of his labors? And this is from the hand of God.
25 for who would get anything to eat or drink, unless al this came from him?	25 So who will feast and overflow with delights as much as I have?
26 Wisdom, knowledge and joy, God gives to those who please him, but on the sinner he lays the task ofgathering and storing up for someone else who is pleasing to him. This too is futility and chasing after the wind.	26 God has given, to the man who is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and rejoicing. But to the sinner, he has given affliction and needless worrying, so as to add, and to gather, and to deliver, to him who has pleased God. But this, too, is emptiness and a hollow worrying of the mind.