Old Testament

New Testament

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

1. I said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself." And behold, it too was futility.

2. I said of laughter, "It is madness," and of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?"

3. I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives.

4. I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself;

5. I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees;

6. I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees.

7. I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem.

8. Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men-many concubines.

9. Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.

10. All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor.

11. Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.

Read complete chapter Ecclesiastes 2