I said ¹to myself, “Come now, I will test you with ^apleasure. So ²enjoy yourself.” And behold, it too was futility. 2 ^aI said of laughter, “It is senseless,” and of pleasure, “What does this accomplish?” 3 I explored with my ¹mind how to ^arefresh my body with wine while my ²mind was guiding me wisely; and how to seize ^bfoolishness, until I could see ^cwhat good there is for the sons of mankind ³to do under heaven for the few ⁴years of their lives. 4 I enlarged my works: I ^abuilt houses for myself, I planted ^bvineyards for myself; 5 I made ^agardens and ^bparks for myself, and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; 6 I made ^aponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and I had ^1aslaves born at home. I also possessed flocks and ^bherds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. 8 I also amassed for myself silver and ^agold, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself ^bmale and female singers, and the pleasures of the sons of mankind: many concubines.

9 Then I became ^agreat and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. 10 ^aAll that my eyes desired, I did not refuse them. I did not restrain my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor; and this was my ^breward for all my labor. 11 So I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had ¹exerted, and behold, all was ^afutility and striving after wind, and there was ^bno benefit under the sun.

12 So I turned to ^aconsider wisdom, insanity, and foolishness; for what will the man do who will come after the king, except ^bwhat has already been done? 13 Then I saw that ^awisdom surpasses foolishness as light surpasses darkness. 14 The wise person’s eyes are in his head, but the ^afool walks in darkness. And yet I know that ^bone and the same fate happens to ¹both of them. 15 Then I said ¹to myself, “^aAs is the fate of the fool, it will also happen to me. ^bWhy then have I been extremely wise?” So ²I said to myself, “This too is futility.” 16 For there is ^ano ¹lasting remembrance of the wise, along with the fool, since in the coming days everything will ²soon be forgotten. And ^bhow the wise and the fool alike die! 17 So I ^ahated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was ¹unhappy to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.

18 So I hated ^aall the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, because I must ^bleave it to the man who will come after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be wise or ^aa fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is ^bfutility. 20 Therefore I ¹completely despaired over all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun. 21 When there is a person who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and ^askill, and then ^bgives his ¹legacy to one who has not labored for it; this too is futility and a great evil. 22 For what does a person get in ^aall his labor and in ¹his striving with which he labors under the sun? 23 Because all his days his activity is painful and ^airritating; even at night his ¹mind ^bdoes not rest. This too is futility.

24 There is ^anothing better for a person than to eat and drink, and show ¹himself some good in his trouble. This too I have seen, that it is ^bfrom the hand of God. 25 For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without ¹Him? 26 For to a person who is good in His sight, ^aHe has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may ^bgive to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is ^cfutility and striving after wind.