1. And I said in my heart, “Come, and I will test you with selfish pleasures to experience desires.” And notice that this too is vanity.
2. And I said of frivolous fun, “They are only senseless ideas”; and regarding selfish pleasure, “What purpose is this?”
3. I investigated how to cheer up my body with wine, while my heart was still guiding me with wisdom, in order to grasp folly until I might experience what is good for sons of men to do under heaven during the number of days that they might have life.
4. I accomplished great works. I built houses for myself, and planted myself vineyards.
5. I made for myself royal gardens and parks, and I planted in them all sorts of fruit trees.
6. I made for myself pools of water to irrigate the forests of growing trees.
7. I even bought male and female slaves; even some were born to me in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks more than any who had been in Jerusalem before me.
8. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and treasures of kings and provinces. I obtained singers, both men and women, and the delights of the sons of men, and many concubines.
9. So I became great and surpassed anyone who had been in Jerusalem before me. All the while my wisdom remained with me.
10. And everything that my eyes wanted I did not refuse them.And I did not withhold my heart from any selfish pleasure,for my heart was glad from all my efforts;and this was my reward for all my efforts.
11. Then I turned to all the work that my hands had designedand all the labor that I had toiled to make;and notice, all of it was vanity and chasing the wind.And there was no benefit under the sun.
12. So I turned to consider wisdom,the folly of ideas, and foolish behavior;for what else can a man do who comes after the king?Or what more than those have already done?