Ecclesiastes 2:12-26

¹²I passed forth to behold wisdom, and errors, and folly; I said, What is a man, that he may follow the king, his maker? (or I said, What new thing can even he who followeth the king do?)

¹³And I saw, that wisdom went so much before folly, as much as light is diverse from darknesses.

¹⁴The eyes of a wise man be in his head, (and) a fool goeth in darknesses; and I learned, that one perishing was of ever either. (The eyes of a wise person be in his head, and a fool goeth in the darkness; but I learned, that the same perishing, or the same death, would come to both of them.)

¹⁵And I said in mine heart, If one death shall be both of the fool and of me, what profiteth it to me, that I gave more busyness to wisdom? And I spake with my soul, and perceived, that this also was vanity. (And I said in my heart, If one death shall be for both the fool and for me, what profiteth it to me, that I gave more busyness, or more effort and study, to wisdom? And I spoke with myself, and understood, that this was also empty and futile.)

¹⁶For the mind of a wise man shall not be, (and) in like manner as neither (that) of a fool, without end, and the times to coming or to come shall cover all things (al)together with forgetting; a learned man dieth in like manner as an unlearned man. (For a wise person shall not be remembered, and in like manner neither shall a fool, yea, for ever, and the times to come shall altogether cover all things with forgetting; for a learned person dieth in the same manner as an unlearned person.)

¹⁷And therefore it annoyed me of my life, seeing that all things under the sun be evil, and that all things be vanity and torment of the spirit. (And so it vexed me to live, seeing that all things under the sun be troublesome, and that everything is empty and futile, like chasing the wind.)

¹⁸Again I cursed all my busyness, by which I travailed most studiously under the sun; and I shall have an heir after me,

¹⁹whom I know not, whether he shall be wise either a fool; and he shall be lord in my travails, for which I sweated greatly, and was busy; and is there anything so vain? (whom I know not, whether he shall be wise or a fool; but he shall be the lord of all my works, for which I was so busy, and greatly sweated over; is there anything so empty and futile as this?)

²⁰Wherefore I ceased, and mine heart forsook for to travail further under the sun. (And so I ceased to study, and my heart did not desire to labour any more under the sun.)

²¹For why when another man travaileth in wisdom, and teaching, and busyness, he leaveth things gotten to an idle man; and therefore this is vanity, and great evil. (For though a person laboureth over something with wisdom, and knowledge, and diligence, he must leave all that he hath gotten to someone else, who did not labour over it; and so this is empty and futile, and a great evil.)

²²For why what shall it profit to a man of all his travail, and torment of spirit, with which he was tormented under the sun? (For what shall it profit a person for all his labour, and trials and tribulations, with which he was tormented under the sun?)

²³All his days be full of sorrows and mischiefs, and by night he resteth not in soul; and whether this is not vanity? (All his days be full of sorrows and mischiefs, and at night his soul resteth not; and is not this all empty and futile?)

²⁴Whether it is not better to eat and drink, and to show to his soul the goods of his travails? and this thing is of the hand of God. (Is it not better for a person to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good things from all his labour? and this is also from the hand of God.)

²⁵Who shall devour so, and shall flow in (such) delights, as I have? (Who shall ever devour such food, and shall flow in, or shall enjoy, such delights, as I have?)

²⁶God gave wisdom, and knowing, and gladness to a good man in his sight; but he gave torment, and superfluous busyness to a sinner, that he increase, and gather together, and give to him that pleaseth God; but also this is vanity, and vain busyness of soul. (God gave wisdom, and knowledge, and happiness to those who be good before him; but he gave torment, and superfluous busyness to the sinner, so that first he increase, and gather together, but then he must give it all to him who pleaseth God; but this is also empty and futile, like chasing the wind.)