--- title: Ecclesiastes 2 slug: kjv/ecclesiastes-2 createdAt: 2024-08-21T02:08:35.806Z --- **1 **I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also *is* vanity. **2 **I said of laughter, *It is* mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? **3 **I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what *was* that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. **4 **I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: **5 **I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all *kind of* fruits: **6 **I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: **7 **I got *me* servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: **8 **I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, *as* musical instruments, and that of all sorts. **9 **So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. **10 **And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. **11 **Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all *was* vanity and vexation of spirit, and *there was* no profit under the sun. **12 **And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what *can* the man *do* that cometh after the king? *even* that which hath been already done. **13 **Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness. **14 **The wise man's eyes *are* in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all. **15 **Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also *is* vanity. **16 **For *there is* no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now *is* in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise *man*? as the fool. **17 **Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun *is* grievous unto me: for all *is* vanity and vexation of spirit. **18 **Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. **19 **And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise *man* or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This *is* also vanity. **20 **Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun. **21 **For there is a man whose labour *is* in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it *for* his portion. This also *is* vanity and a great evil. **22 **For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? **23 **For all his days *are* sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity. **24 ***There is* nothing better for a man, *than* that he should eat and drink, and *that* he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it *was* from the hand of God. **25 **For who can eat, or who else can hasten *hereunto*, more than I? **26 **For *God* giveth to a man that *is* good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to *him that is* good before God. This also *is* vanity and vexation of spirit.