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== Koheles (Book of Ecclesiastes), Chapter 2 ==

<named id="1"/>1 I said in my heart: 'Come now, I will try thee with mirth, and enjoy pleasure'; and, behold, this also was vanity.

<named id="2"/>2 I said of laughter: 'It is mad'; and of mirth: 'What doth it accomplish?'

<named id="3"/>3 I searched in my heart how to pamper my flesh with wine, and, my heart conducting itself with wisdom, how yet to lay hold on folly, till I might see which it was best for the sons of men that they should do under the heaven the few days of their life.

<named id="4"/>4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;

<named id="5"/>5 I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit;

<named id="6"/>6 I made me pools of water, to water therefrom the wood springing up with trees;

<named id="7"/>7 I acquired men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that were before me in Jerusalem;

<named id="8"/>8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and treasure such as kings and the provinces have as their own; I got me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, women very many.

<named id="9"/>9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom stood me in stead.

<named id="10"/>10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart had joy of all my labour; and this was my portion from all my labour.

<named id="11"/>11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

<named id="12"/>12 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.

<named id="13"/>13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

<named id="14"/>14 The wise man, his eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness. And I also perceived that one event happeneth to them all.

<named id="15"/>15 Then said I in my heart: 'As it happeneth 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.

<named id="16"/>16 For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will long ago have been forgotten. And how must the wise man die even as the fool!

<named id="17"/>17 So I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.

<named id="18"/>18 And I hated all my labour wherein I laboured under the sun, seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

<named id="19"/>19 And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

<named id="20"/>20 Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour wherein I had laboured under the sun.

<named id="21"/>21 For there is a man whose labour is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

<named id="22"/>22 For what hath a man of all his labour, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he laboureth under the sun?

<named id="23"/>23 For all his days are pains, and his occupation vexation; yea, even in the night his heart taketh not rest. This also is vanity.

<named id="24"/>24 There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy pleasure for his labour. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of G-d.

<named id="25"/>25 For who will eat, or who will enjoy, if not I?

<named id="26"/>26 For to the man that is good in His sight He giveth wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner He giveth the task, to gather and to heap up, that he may leave to him that is good in the sight of G-d. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

== See also ==
* [[Koheles 1|Previous Chapter]]
* [[Koheles 2 Commentaries]]
* [[Koheles 3|Next Chapter]]

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Learning resources]]
[[Category:Bible]]
[[Category:Bible Contents]]

[[he:קוהלת ב]]

[[1917 JPS Copyright|Portions © 1997 by Benyamin Pilant. Portions © 1998 by Larry Nelson.]]

Koheles 2 - Revision history

WikiSysop at 19:07, 25 December 2008