ULT by section ECC 2:1

⌂ ← ECC 2:1–2:26 → ║ ═ ©

Ecclesiastes 2

2 I spoke, I with my heart, “Come, let me test you with joy and see good.” But look, it also was vapor. 2 To laughter, I said, “Madness!” And to joy, “What is this doing?” 3 I explored in my heart to drag my flesh with wine (and my heart was guiding me with wisdom) and to seize folly until I could see where is the good for the sons of humanity that they might do under the heavens during the number of the days of their lives.

4 I enlarged my deeds. I built for myself houses. I planted for myself vineyards. 5 I made for myself orchards and royal parks, and I planted in them a tree of each fruit. 6 I made for myself pools of waters to cause to drink from them a forest of growing trees. 7 I acquired male servants and female servants and sons of the house belonged to me. Also, much property of cattle and sheep belonged to me, more than all who were to my face in Jerusalem. 8 I also amassed for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I appointed for myself male singers and female singers and the pleasures of the sons of humanity: breast and breasts.
9 So I became great, and I increased more than all who were to my face in Jerusalem. Also, my wisdom stood by me. 10 And all that my eyes asked, I did not refuse from them. I did not restrain my heart from any joy, because my heart was joyful from all my toil and this was my portion from all my toil. 11 And I turned, I, to all my works that my hands had done and to the toil that I toiled to do and look, everything was vapor and pursuit of wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 So I turned, I, to see wisdom and madness and folly, because what can the person do who will come after the king than that which he has already done? 13 And I saw, I, that there is a profit for wisdom more than folly, as there is a profit of the light more than the darkness.

14 The wise, his eyes are in his head,

but the fool in the darkness is walking.

But I know, even I, that one happening will happen to both of them.

15 And I spoke, I with my heart, “As the happening of the fool, even to me—it will happen to me! And why was I, I, wise then, abundantly?” And I said to my heart that also this is vapor. 16 For there is no memory of the wise person with the fool in perpetuity, because already, in the coming days, both will be forgotten. Alas! The wise die with the fool!

17 And I hated life, because bad to me was the work that was done under the sun, because everything was vapor and pursuit of wind. 18 And I hated, I, all my toil that I had toiled under the sun, that I will leave it to the person who will be after me. 19 And who knows: Will he be wise or a fool? And he will have authority over all my toil that I toiled and for which I was wise under the sun. Also, this is vapor.
20 Then I turned, I, to cause my heart to despair concerning all the toil which I toiled under the sun. 21 For there is a person whose toil is with wisdom and with knowledge and with skill, but to a person who has not toiled for it, he will give it as his portion. This also is vapor and a great misfortune. 22 For what endures for the person in exchange for all his toil and in the striving of his heart in which he is a toiler under the sun? 23 For all his days are pains, and anger is his business; even in the night, his heart does not rest. Also this—it is vapor.
24 There is nothing better for humanity than that he should eat and drink and cause his spirit to see good in his toil. Also, this I saw, I, that it is from the hand of the God, 25 for who will eat and who will enjoy apart from him? 26 For to a person who is good to his face, he gives wisdom and knowledge and joy. But to the sinner, he gives the business of gathering and of collecting to give to the one who is good to the face of the God. Even this is vapor and pursuit of wind.

ECC C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12