1. I said to myself, Come, I will make you experience pleasure; enjoy what is good! But this too was pointless!
2. Merriment, I thought, is madness; pleasure, of no use at all.
3. I tried cheering myself with wine and by embracing folly—with wisdom still guiding me—until I might see what is really worth doing in the few days that human beings have under heaven.
4. I took on great projects: I built houses for myself, planted vineyards for myself.
5. I made gardens and parks for myself, planting every kind of fruit tree in them.
6. I made reservoirs for myself to water my lush groves.
7. I acquired male servants and female servants; I even had slaves born in my house. I also had great herds of cattle and sheep, more than any who preceded me in Jerusalem.
8. I amassed silver and gold for myself, the treasures of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers for myself, along with every human luxury, treasure chests galore!
9. So I became far greater than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. Moreover, my wisdom stood by me.
10. I refrained from nothing that my eyes desired. I refused my heart no pleasure. Indeed, my heart found pleasure from the results of my hard work; that was the reward from all my hard work.
11. But when I surveyed all that my hands had done, and what I had worked so hard to achieve, I realized that it was pointless—a chasing after wind. Nothing is to be gained under the sun.
12. My reflections then turned to wisdom, madness, and folly. What can the king’s heir do but what has already been done?
13. I saw that wisdom is more beneficial than folly, as light is more beneficial than darkness.