Ecclesiastes, the Preacher

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 2 -

The futility of pleasure

I said in my heart: “I will go forth and overflow with delights, and I will enjoy good things.” And I saw that this, too, is emptiness.

Laughter, I considered an error. And to rejoicing, I said: “Why are you being deceived, to no purpose?”

I decided in my heart to withdraw my flesh from wine, so that I might bring my mind to wisdom, and turn away from foolishness, until I see what is useful for the sons of men, and what they ought to do under the sun, during the number of the days of their life.

I magnified my works. I built houses for myself, and I planted vineyards.

I made gardens and orchards. And I planted them with trees of every kind.

And I dug out fishponds of water, so that I might irrigate the forest of growing trees.

I obtained men and women servants, and I had a great family, as well as herds of cattle and great flocks of sheep, beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem.

I amassed for myself silver and gold, and the wealth of kings and governors. I chose men and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, bowls and pitchers for the purpose of pouring wine.

And I surpassed in opulence all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also persevered with me.

And all that my eyes desired, I did not refuse them. Neither did I prohibit my heart from enjoying every pleasure, and from amusing itself in the things that I had prepared. And I regarded this as my share, as if I were making use of my own labors.

But when I turned myself toward all the works that my hands had made, and to the labors in which I had perspired to no purpose, I saw emptiness and affliction of the soul in all things, and that nothing is permanent under the sun.

The wise and the foolish

I continued on, so as to contemplate wisdom, as well as error and foolishness. “What is man,” I said, “that he would be able to follow his Maker, the King?”

And I saw that wisdom surpasses foolishness, so much so that they differ as much as light from darkness.

The eyes of a wise man are in his head. A foolish man walks in darkness. Yet I learned that one would pass away like the other.

And I said in my heart: “If the death of both the foolish and myself will be one, how does it benefit me, if I have given myself more thoroughly to the work of wisdom?” And as I was speaking within my own mind, I perceived that this, too, is emptiness.

For there will not be a remembrance in perpetuity of the wise, nor of the foolish. And the future times will cover everything together, with oblivion. The learned die in a manner similar to the unlearned.(a)

And, because of this, my life wearied me, since I saw that everything under the sun is evil, and everything is empty and an affliction of the spirit.

The futility of labor

Again, I detested all my efforts, by which I had earnestly labored under the sun, to be taken up by an heir after me,

though I know not whether he will be wise or foolish. And yet he will have power over my labors, in which I have toiled and been anxious. And is there anything else so empty?

Therefore, I ceased, and my heart renounced further laboring under the sun.

For when someone labors in wisdom, and doctrine, and prudence, he leaves behind what he has obtained to one who is idle. So this, too, is emptiness and a great burden.(b)

For how can a man benefit from all his labor and affliction of spirit, by which he has been tormented under the sun?

All his days have been filled with sorrows and hardships; neither does he rest his mind, even in the night. And is this not emptiness?

Is it not better to eat and drink, and to show his soul the good things of his labors? And this is from the hand of God.

So who will feast and overflow with delights as much as I have?

God has given, to the man who is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and rejoicing. But to the sinner, he has given affliction and needless worrying, so as to add, and to gather, and to deliver, to him who has pleased God. But this, too, is emptiness and a hollow worrying of the mind.

Footnotes

(a)2:16 The lack of remembrance of the wise pertains to the world, not to heaven and the kingdom of God. Those immersed in the world choose to forget the past and its lessons, lest they be corrected and have to give up the sins that they love. This verse is also prophetic; in the last days, the world will forget, or cover over, or teach falsehoods about various events in the past which would have corrected their errors. They will cover past truths with the oblivion of their sinfulness.(Conte)

(b)2:21 The word ‘malum’ does not always mean ‘evil;’ it also refers to things that are very difficult or burdensome, and to things that are harmful.(Conte)

The futility of pleasure

I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure;” and behold, this also was vanity.

I said of laughter, “It is foolishness;” and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?”

I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives.

I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.

I made myself gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit.

I made myself pools of water, to water the forest where trees were grown.

I bought male servants and female servants, and had servants born in my house. I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all who were before me in Jerusalem.

I also gathered silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men: musical instruments of all sorts.

So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.

Whatever my eyes desired, I didn’t keep from them. I didn’t withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor.

Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and behold, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

The wise and the foolish

I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly; for what can the king’s successor do? Just that which has been done long ago.

Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.

The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness—and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all.

Then I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.

For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory forever, since in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool!

So I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

The futility of labor

I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.

Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

Therefore I began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun.

For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.

For what does a man have of all his labor and of the striving of his heart, in which he labors under the sun?

For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.

For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?

For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.