Ecclesiastes 2

The Futility of Pleasure

1 I said to myself, “Let us test pleasure and see what is good.” But that too was meaningless.

2 Laughter, It is madness. Pleasure, What is it really worth,

3 I tried cheering myself with wine, living it up while staying wise, to see what is good for people to do under heaven during their short lives.

4 I took on great projects, built houses, planted vineyards.

5 Made gardens and parks, planted all kinds of trees.

6 Built pools to water the groves.

7 Bought servants and had others born in my house. Owned herds and flocks, more than anyone in Jerusalem before me.

8 Piled up silver and gold, treasures of kings. Got singers and all kinds of pleasures.

9 I became greater than all before me in Jerusalem, yet my wisdom stayed with me.

10 I denied myself nothing; I found joy in my work, that was my reward.

11 But when I looked at everything I had done, it was meaningless, chasing the wind. Nothing gained under the sun.

Wisdom and Folly Are Meaningless

12 Then I turned to think about wisdom, madness, and folly. What more can a king do than what has been done,

13 I realized wisdom better than foolishness, like light better than darkness.

14 The wise see where they are going, but fools walk blind. Yet both share the same fate.

15 I said to myself, “The same fate happens to the wise and the fool, so what is the point?”

16 No one remembers the wise any more than the fool; both fade, both die.

17 So I hated life, it all felt meaningless and depressing.

The Toil of Work Is Meaningless

18 I hated all my work, knowing I would leave it to someone after me.

19 Who knows if he will be wise or foolish, Yet he will control everything I worked for. That is meaningless.

20 So I gave up, letting my heart despair over all my hard work.

21 You can work with wisdom and skill, then leave it to someone who did not work for it. That is not fair, it is pointless.

22 What do people gain for all their labor and stress,

23 Their days are full of pain, their nights restless. Meaningless.

24 So I realized, there is nothing better than to eat, drink, and enjoy your work. That joy comes from God.

25 Without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment,

26 To the one who pleases Him, God gives wisdom and joy; but to the sinner, He gives the grind of gathering for someone else. Meaningless, chasing the wind.