1. I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy good things; and, behold, this also is vanity.
2. I said of laughter, It is mad, and of mirth, What does it do?
3. I proposed in my heart to regale my flesh with wine and that my heart would walk in wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, until 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 myself great works; I built myself houses; I planted myself vineyards;
5. I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits;
6. I made myself pools of water, to water with them the forest that brings forth trees;
7. I got myself slaves and maidens and had sons born in my house; also I had great possessions of cattle and sheep above all that were in Jerusalem before me;
8. I gathered unto myself also silver and gold and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces; I obtained men singers and women singers and all the delights of the sons of men, musical instruments, and those of all sorts.
9. So I was great and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem, and more than that, my wisdom remained with me.
10. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them; I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour, and this was my portion of all my labour.
11. At last 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.
Read complete chapter Ecclesiastes, Or The Preacher (Of Solomon) 2