The Futility of Pleasure 1 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good!” But it proved to be futile.
2 CPDV Laughter, I considered an error. And to rejoicing, I said: “Why are you being deceived, to no purpose?” BSB BSB: I said of laughter, “It is folly,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”
3 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: I sought to cheer my body with wine and to embrace folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—until I could see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.
4 CPDV I magnified my works. I built houses for myself, and I planted vineyards. BSB BSB: I expanded my pursuits. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.
5 CPDV I made gardens and orchards. And I planted them with trees of every kind. BSB BSB: I made gardens and parks for myself, where I planted all kinds of fruit trees.
6 CPDV And I dug out fishponds of water, so that I might irrigate the forest of growing trees. BSB BSB: I built reservoirs to water my groves of flourishing trees.
7 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: I acquired menservants and maidservants, and servants were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me,
8 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: and I accumulated for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered to myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men—many concubines.
9 CPDV And I surpassed in opulence all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also persevered with me. BSB BSB: So I became great and surpassed all in Jerusalem who had preceded me; and my wisdom remained with me.
10 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: Anything my eyes desired, I did not deny myself. I refused my heart no pleasure. For my heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.
11 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
The Wise and the Foolish 12 CPDV 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?” BSB BSB: Then I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what more can the king’s successor do than what has already been accomplished?
13 CPDV And I saw that wisdom surpasses foolishness, so much so that they differ as much as light from darkness. BSB BSB: And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness:
14 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also came to realize that one fate overcomes them both.
15 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: So I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will also befall me. What then have I gained by being wise?” And I said to myself that this too is futile.
16 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, just as with the fool, seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come. Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool!
17 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
The Futility of Work 18 CPDV Again, I detested all my efforts, by which I had earnestly labored under the sun, to be taken up by an heir after me, BSB BSB: I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.
19 CPDV 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? BSB BSB: And who knows whether that man will be wise or foolish? Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked skillfully under the sun. This too is futile.
20 CPDV Therefore, I ceased, and my heart renounced further laboring under the sun. BSB BSB: So my heart began to despair over all the labor that I had done under the sun.
21 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great evil.
22 CPDV For how can a man benefit from all his labor and affliction of spirit, by which he has been tormented under the sun? BSB BSB: For what does a man get for all the toil and striving with which he labors under the sun?
23 CPDV 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? BSB BSB: Indeed, all his days are filled with grief, and his task is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile.
24 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: Nothing is better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy his work. I have also seen that this is from the hand of God.
25 CPDV So who will feast and overflow with delights as much as I have? BSB BSB: For apart from Him, who can eat and who can find enjoyment?
26 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.