1. I said in mine lev, Come now, I will test thee with simchah, therefore enjoy tov; and, hinei, this also is hevel.
2. I said of laughter, It is mad; and of simchah, What doeth it accomplish?
3. I searched in mine lev to draw my basar on with yayin, my mind guiding me with chochmah; and to lay hold on sichlut (folly), till I might see what was tov for bnei haAdam, which they should do under Shomayim all the few days of their life.
4. I undertook me great works; I built me batim (houses); I planted me kramim (vineyards);
5. I made me ganot (gardens) and parks, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them;
6. I made me reservoirs of mayim, to water therewith the forest of trees tzomeiach (sprouting up);
7. I bought me avadim and shfakhot, and had bnei bayit (avadim born in my bais); also I had great possessions of herds and tzon more than all that were in Yerushalayim before me;
8. I amassed for me also kesef and zahav, and the treasure of melachim and of the provinces; I acquired for me men singers and women singers, and the delights of bnei haAdam, musical instruments of all kinds.
9. So I was great, and excelled more than all that were before me in Yerushalayim; also my chochmah remained with me.
10. And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my lev from any simchah; for my lev rejoiced in all my amal (labor); and this was my chelek (portion) for all my amal.