Ecclesiastes 2:5-14

⁵I made for me gardens and paradises, and I planted in them trees of every fruit.

⁶I made for me pools of water, to water from them a forest shooting forth trees.

⁷I got men-servants, and maid-servants, and sons of the house were to me; also, I had much substance — herd and flock — above all who had been before me in Jerusalem.

⁸I gathered for me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces. I prepared for me men-singers and women-singers, and the luxuries of the sons of man — a wife and wives.

⁹And I became great, and increased above every one who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood with me.

¹⁰And all that mine eyes asked I kept not back from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labour, and this hath been my portion, from all my labour,

¹¹and I have looked on all my works that my hands have done, and on the labour that I have laboured to do, and lo, the whole is vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun!

¹²And I turned to see wisdom, and madness, and folly, but what is the man who cometh after the king? that which is already — they have done it!

¹³And I saw that there is an advantage to wisdom above folly, like the advantage of the light above the darkness.

¹⁴The wise! — his eyes are in his head, and the fool in darkness is walking, and I also knew that one event happeneth with them all;