Ecclesiastes 2 (KJV) · harness.talk

1

I said in mine heart, Goe to now, I wil prooue thee with mirth, therfore enioy pleasure: and behold, this also is vanitie.

2

I saide of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?

3

I sought in mine heart to giue my selfe vnto wine, (yet acquainting mine heart with wisedome) and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sonnes of men, which they should doe vnder the heauen all the dayes of their life.

4

I made me great workes, I builded mee houses, I planted mee Uineyards.

5

I made mee gardens & orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kinde of fruits.

6

I made mee pooles of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth foorth trees:

7

I got me seruants and maydens, and had seruants borne in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattell, aboue all that were in Ierusalem before me.

8

I gathered mee also siluer and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the prouinces: I gate mee men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sonnes of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

9

So I was great, and increased more then all that were before mee in Ierusalem; also my wisedome remained with me.

10

And whatsoeuer mine eyes desired, I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any ioy: for my heart reioyced in all my labour; and this was my portion of all my labour.

11

Then I looked on all the workes that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to doe: and behold, all was vanitie, and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit vnder the Sunne.

12

¶ And I turned my selfe to behold wisedome, and madnesse and folly: for what can the man doe, that commeth after the king? euen that which hath bene already done.

13

Then I saw that wisedome excelleth folly, as farre as light excelleth darkenesse.

14

The wise mans eyes are in his head, but the foole walketh in darknes: and I my selfe perceiued also that one euent happeneth to them all.

15

Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the foole, so it happeneth euen to me, and why was I then more wise? then I said in my heart, That this also is vanitie.

16

For there is no remembrance of the wise, more then of the foole for euer; seeing that which now is, in the dayes to come shall be forgotten; and how dieth the wise man? as the foole.

17

Therefore I hated life, because the worke that is wrought vnder the Sunne is grieuous vnto mee: for all is vanitie, and vexation of spirit.

18

¶ Yea I hated all my labour which I had taken vnder the Sunne: because I should leaue it vnto the man that shalbe after mee.

19

And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a foole? yet shall he haue rule ouer all my labour, wherein I haue laboured, and wherein I haue shewed my selfe wise vnder the Sunne. This is also vanitie.

20

Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despaire of all the labour which I tooke vnder the Sunne.

21

For there is a man whose labour is in wisedome and in knowledge, and in equitie: yet to a man that hath not laboured therein, shall hee leaue it for his portion; This also is vanitie, and a great euill.

22

For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart wherein hee hath laboured vnder the Sunne?

23

For all his dayes are sorrowes, and his traueile, griefe; yea his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanitie.

24

¶ There is nothing better for a man, then that he should eat and drinke, and that he should make his soule enioy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

25

For who can eate? or who else can hasten hereunto more then I?

26

For God giueth to a man that is good in his sight, wisedome, and knowledge, and ioy: but to the sinner hee giueth traueile, to gather and to heape vp that he may giue to him that is good before God: This also is vanitie and vexation of spirit.