Ecclesiastes 2:2-13

²I said about laughter, “It is crazy,” and about pleasure, “What use is it?”

³I explored in my heart how to gratify my desires with wine. I let my mind guide me with wisdom although I was still holding on to folly. I wanted to find out what is good for people to do under heaven during the days of their lives.

⁴I accomplished great things. I built houses for myself and planted vineyards.

⁵I built for myself gardens and parks; I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.

⁶I created pools of water to water a forest where trees were grown.

⁷I purchased male slaves and female slaves; I had slaves born in my palace. I also had large herds and flocks of livestock, much more than any king who ruled before me in Jerusalem.

⁸I also accumulated for myself silver and gold, the treasures of kings and provinces. I got male and female singers for myself—the delights of the children of humanity—and many concubines.

⁹So I became greater and wealthier than all who were before me in Jerusalem, and my wisdom remained with me.

¹⁰Whatever my eyes desired, I did not withhold from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, because my heart rejoiced in all my labor and pleasure was my reward for all my work.

¹¹Then I looked on all the deeds that my hands had accomplished, and on the work that I had done, but again, everything was vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind. There was no profit under the sun in it.

¹²Then I turned to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. For what can the next king do who comes after the king, which has not already been done?

¹³Then I began to understand that wisdom has advantages over folly, just as light is better than darkness.