Ecclesiastes 2:2-8

²So I said to myself, “It is foolish to laugh all the time, and continually doing what I enjoy does not seem to bring any lasting benefit.”

³So, after thinking a lot about it, I decided to ◄cheer myself/cause myself to be happy► by drinking a lot of wine. So while I was still trying to be wise, I decided to do things that many people do to be happy during the short time that they are alive on the earth.

⁴I did great things: I caused houses to be built for myself and vineyards to be planted.

⁵I told my workers to make gardens and parks. Then I told them to fill the gardens with many kinds of fruit trees.

⁶I told them to build reservoirs to store water to irrigate the fruit trees.

⁷I bought male and female slaves, and babies who later became my slaves were born in my palace. I also owned more livestock than any of the previous kings in Jerusalem had owned.

⁸I also accumulated large amounts of silver and gold that were paid to me from the treasures of kings and rulers of provinces. I hired men and women to sing for me, and I had many ◄concubines/slave wives► who gave me much pleasure EUP.