Ecclesiastes 2:1–13

¹I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good!”

But it proved to be futile.

²I said of laughter, “It is folly,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”

³I sought to cheer my body with wine and to embrace folly— my mind still guiding me with wisdom— until I could see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

⁴I expanded my pursuits. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. ⁵I made gardens and parks for myself, where I planted all kinds of fruit trees. ⁶I built reservoirs to water my groves of flourishing trees.

⁷I acquired menservants and maidservants, and servants were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me, ⁸and I accumulated for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered to myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men — many concubines.

⁹So I became great and surpassed all in Jerusalem who had preceded me; and my wisdom remained with me. ¹⁰Anything my eyes desired, I did not deny myself. I refused my heart no pleasure. For my heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.

¹¹Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

¹²Then I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what more can the king’s successor do than what has already been accomplished? ¹³And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness: