Ecclesiastes/Qohelet 2

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	BIBLIA
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.	1 Hablé en mi corazón: ¡Adelante! ¡Voy a probarte en el placer; disfruta del bienestar! Pero vi que también esto es vanidad.
2 Laughter, I considered an error. And to rejoicing, I said: “Why are you being deceived, to no purpose?”	2 A la risa la llamé: ¡Locura!; y del placer dije: ¿Para qué vale?
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.	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.
4 I magnified my works. I built houses for myself, and I planted vineyards.	4 Emprendí mis grandes obras; me construí palacios, me planté viñas;
5 I made gardens and orchards. And I planted them with trees of every kind.	5 me hice huertos y jardines, y los planté de toda clase de árboles frutales.
6 And I dug out fishponds of water, so that I might irrigate the forest of growing trees.	6 Me construí albercas con aguas para regar la frondosa plantación.
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.	7 Tuve siervos y esclavas: poseí servidumbre, así como ganados, vacas y ovejas, en mayor cantidad que ninguno de mis predecesores en Jerusalén.
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.	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.
9 And I surpassed in opulence all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also persevered with me.	9 Seguí engrandeciéndome más que cualquiera de mis predecesores en Jerusalén, y mi sabiduría se mantenía.
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.	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.
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.	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.
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?”	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?
13 And I saw that wisdom surpasses foolishness, so much so that they differ as much as light from darkness.	13 Yo vi que la sabiduría aventaja a la necedad, como la luz a las tieneblas.
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.	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.
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.	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.
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.	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.
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.	17 He detestado la vida, porque me repugna cuanto se hace bajo el sol, pues todo es vanidad y atrapar vientos.
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,	18 Detesté todos mis fatigosos afanes bajo el sol, que yo dejo a mi sucesor.
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?	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.
20 Therefore, I ceased, and my heart renounced further laboring under the sun.	20 Entregué mi corazón al desaliento, por todos mis fatigosos afanes bajo el sol,
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.	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.
22 For how can a man benefit from all his labor and affliction of spirit, by which he has been tormented under the sun?	22 Pues ¿qué le queda a aquel hombre de toda su fatiga y esfuerzo con que se fatigó bajo el sol?
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?	23 Pues todos sus días son dolor, y su oficio, penar; y ni aun de noche su corazón descansa. También esto es vanidad.
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.	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,
25 So who will feast and overflow with delights as much as I have?	25 pues quien come y quien bebe, lo tiene de Dios.
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.	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.