Eclesiastés/Qohelet 2

BIBLIA	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Hablé en mi corazón: ¡Adelante! ¡Voy a probarte en el placer; disfruta del bienestar! Pero vi que también esto es vanidad.	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 A la risa la llamé: ¡Locura!; y del placer dije: ¿Para qué vale?	2 Laughter, I considered an error. And to rejoicing, I said: “Why are you being deceived, to no purpose?”
3 Traté de regalar mi cuerpo con el vino, mientras guardaba mi corazón en la sabiduría, y entregarme a la necedad hasta ver en qué consistía la felicidad de los humanos, lo que hacen bajo el cielo durante los contados días de su vida.	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 Emprendí mis grandes obras; me construí palacios, me planté viñas;	4 I magnified my works. I built houses for myself, and I planted vineyards.
5 me hice huertos y jardines, y los planté de toda clase de árboles frutales.	5 I made gardens and orchards. And I planted them with trees of every kind.
6 Me construí albercas con aguas para regar la frondosa plantación.	6 And I dug out fishponds of water, so that I might irrigate the forest of growing trees.
7 Tuve siervos y esclavas: poseí servidumbre, así como ganados, vacas y ovejas, en mayor cantidad que ninguno de mis predecesores en Jerusalén.	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 Atesoré también plata y oro, tributos de reyes y de provincias. Me procuré cantores y cantoras, toda clase de lujos humanos, coperos y reposteros.	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 Seguí engrandeciéndome más que cualquiera de mis predecesores en Jerusalén, y mi sabiduría se mantenía.	9 And I surpassed in opulence all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also persevered with me.
10 De cuanto me pedían mis ojos, nada les negué ni rehusé a mi corazón ninguna alegría; toda vez que mi corazón se solazaba de todas mis fatigas, y esto me compensaba de todas mis fatigas.	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 Consideré entonces todas las obras de mis manos y el fatigoso afán de mi hacer y vi que todo es vanidad y atrapar vientos, y que ningún provecho se saca bajo el sol.	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 Yo me volví a considerar la sabiduría, la locura y la necedad. ¿Qué hará el hombre que suceda al rey, sino lo que ya otros hicieron?	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 Yo vi que la sabiduría aventaja a la necedad, como la luz a las tieneblas.	13 And I saw that wisdom surpasses foolishness, so much so that they differ as much as light from darkness.
14 El sabio tiene sus ojos abiertos, mas el necio en las tinieblas camina. Pero también yo sé que la misma suerte alcanza a ambos.	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 Entonces me dice: Como la suerte del necio será la mía, ¿para qué vales, pues, mi sabiduría? Y pensé que hasta eso mismo es vanidad.	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 No hay recuerdo duradero ni del sabio ni del necio; al correr de los días, todos son olvidados. Pues el sabio muere igual que el necio.	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 He detestado la vida, porque me repugna cuanto se hace bajo el sol, pues todo es vanidad y atrapar vientos.	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 Detesté todos mis fatigosos afanes bajo el sol, que yo dejo a mi sucesor.	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 ¿Quién sabe si será sabio o necio? El se hará dueño de todo mi trabajo, lo que realicé con fatiga y sabiduría bajo el sol. También esto es vanidad.	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 Entregué mi corazón al desaliento, por todos mis fatigosos afanes bajo el sol,	20 Therefore, I ceased, and my heart renounced further laboring under the sun.
21 pues un hombre que se fatigá con sabiduría, ciencia y destreza, a otro que en nada se fatigó da su propia paga. También esto es vanidad y mal grave.	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 Pues ¿qué le queda a aquel hombre de toda su fatiga y esfuerzo con que se fatigó bajo el sol?	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 Pues todos sus días son dolor, y su oficio, penar; y ni aun de noche su corazón descansa. También esto es vanidad.	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 No hay mayor felicidad para el hombre que comer y beber, y disfrutar en medio de sus fatigas. Yo veo que también esto viene de la mano de Dios,	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 pues quien come y quien bebe, lo tiene de Dios.	25 So who will feast and overflow with delights as much as I have?
26 Porque a quien le agrada, da El sabiduría, ciencia y alegría; mas al pecador, da la tarea de amontonar y atesorir para dejárselo a quien agrada a Dios. También esto es vanidad y atrapar vientos.	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.