Ecclesiastes 2

Ecclesiastes 2:1

I said in my heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth.

From that austere search of knowledge, I thought to divert my thoughts unto mirth and pleasure.

Ecclesiastes 2:2

I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?

When I had taken a full trial of the free jollities and wild delights of men, I cast them off with scorn; and said of laughter, that it is both an effect and argument of a mad distemper of the mind; and of mirth, that it is a vain and unprofitable passion, not fit for a wise man’s entertainment.

Ecclesiastes 2:3

I thought in my heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting my heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good, &c.

I did yet further resolve, to give myself over to the pleasures of the palate and of the belly; to take my fill of wine and delicates, for the cheering up of my dull and wearied spirits: yet so, as that I made account not to cast off the study of wisdom; but there withal to mix an experimental knowledge of folly and debauchedness, till I might see whether any true contentment might be found therein.

Ecclesiastes 2:7

I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house.

I bought and procured servants and maids; and had, besides, a numerous issue of those bond-servants, which were born and bred within my own family.

Ecclesiastes 2:12

For what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.

If ever any man could have found out full contentment, either in wisdom or folly, certainly I should have done it; for who can have the like means that I have had, for these ends? Surely, he, that will come after me, for a further disquisition of this matter, shall find, that he can neither do nor know ought, but that, which I have done and known before him.

Ecclesiastes 2:14

The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.

Wisdom is light, and folly is darkness; the wise man therefore walketh in this light, having the eyes of his understanding clear, whereas the fool walketh in darkness; yet, for all this difference, I perceived that events, whether good or evil, fall alike unto them both.

Ecclesiastes 2:15

Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.

To what purpose then, should I weary myself in the pursuit of wisdom, if, in respect of the events of things, I shall speed no better than a fool? And, at last I concluded, that both this indifferency of events, and this use, that I was apt to make of it, is vanity.

Ecclesiastes 2:17

Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me.

I was therefore utterly distasted with the present life; since it yielded nothing but anguish and vexation, even from the best works that I could perform. II. 18, 19. Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun; because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? It doth not a little aggravate the vanity of these earthly contentments, and my hatred of all my laborious and magnificent works, that, when I have done, I must leave them to a successor; at all uncertainties: for who knows whether he shall be a wise man or a fool?

Ecclesiastes 2:20

Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.

Therefore I did bend my thoughts, what I might, to put my heart out of conceit and hope of any good issue of all my earthly labours and endeavours.

Ecclesiastes 2:24

There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour.

Yet of all vanities this is the best, since the life of man is attended with so much sorrow and care; what he may to put off all grief and anxiety, to enjoy the good blessings of God, to eat and to drink, and to take all lawful pleasure and delight in the use of those good things he hath.

Ecclesiastes 2:25

For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?

For, is there any man living that can procure more excellent varieties of delicates, than I? Is there any, whose means will afford him opportunity of providing them with more speed or ease, than myself?