Ecclesiastes:2

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* I said in mine heart , Go to now , I will prove thee with mirth , therefore enjoy pleasure : and , behold , this also is vanity . * I said of laughter , It is mad : and of mirth , What doeth it ? * I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine , yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom ; and to lay hold on folly , till I might see what was that good for the sons of men , which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life . * I made me great works ma #aseh #; I builded me houses ; I planted me vineyards : * I made me gardens and orchards , and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits : * I made me pools of water , to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees : * I got me servants and maidens , and had servants born in my house ; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me : * I gathered me also silver and gold , and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces : I gat me men singers and women singers , and the delights of the sons of men , as musical instruments shiddah #, and that of all sorts . * So I was great , and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem : also my wisdom remained with me . * And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them , I withheld not my heart from any joy ; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour : and this was my portion of all my labour . * Then I looked on all t works that my hands had wrought , and on the labour that I had laboured to do : and , behold , all was vanity and vexation of spirit , and there was no profit under the sun . * And I turned myself to behold wisdom , and madness , and folly : for what can the man do that cometh after the king ? even that which hath been already done . * Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly , as far as light excelleth darkness . * The wise mans eyes are in his head ro #sh #; but the fool walketh in darkness : and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all . * Then said I in my heart , As it happeneth to the fool , so it happeneth even to me ; and why was I then more wise ? Then I said in my heart , that this also is vanity . * For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever ; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten . And how dieth the wise man ? as the fool . * Therefore I hated life ; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me : for all is vanity and vexation of spirit . * Yea , I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun : because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me . * And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool ? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured , and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun . This is also vanity . * Therefore I went about to causemy heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun . * For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom , and in knowledge da #ath #, and in equity ; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion . This also is vanity and a great evil . * For what hath man of all his labour , and of the vexation of his heart , wherein he hath laboured under the sun ? * For all his days are sorrows mak #ob #, and his travail grief ka #ac #; yea , his heart taketh not rest in the night . This is also vanity . * There is nothing better for a man , than that he should eat and drink , and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour . This also I saw , that it was from the hand of God . * For who can eat , or who else can hasten hereunto , more than I ? * For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom , and knowledge da #ath #, and joy : but to the sinner he giveth travail , to gather and to heap up , that he may give to him that is good before God . This also is vanity and vexation of spirit .

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