Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

¹Come, then, I said in my heart, I will have a taste of joy, and thou shalt see what is good; but, behold, this also was vanity.

²Of laughter I said, It maketh one mad: and of joy, What doth this do?

³I resolved in my heart to indulge my body with wine, while my heart guideth itself with wisdom; and to lay fast hold on folly, till I might see what it is that is good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heavens during the number of the days of their life.

⁴I made great works: I built myself houses; I planted myself vineyards;

⁵I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted therein trees of all kinds of fruit;

⁶I made myself pools of water, to water therewith the forest overgrown with trees;

⁷I bought men-servants and maid-servants, and I had likewise those born in my house; I had also great possessions of cattle and flocks above all that had been before me in Jerusalem.

⁸I gathered unto myself also silver and gold, and the choice treasures of kings and of the provinces: I procured myself male singers and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men, wagons and chariots.

⁹So was I great, and obtained more than all that had been before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

¹⁰And whatsoever my eyes desired I refused them not; I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart was rejoiced with all my toil, and this was my portion of all my toil.

¹¹But when I turned myself to look on all my works that my hands had wrought, and on the toil that I had toiled to accomplish: then, behold, all was vanity and a torture of the spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.