Ecclesiastes 2:1-13

1I said within myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to see what is good.” Yet behold, this too was meaningless.

2I said of laughter, “It is madness!” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”

3I thought deeply about how to cheer my flesh with wine—letting my heart guide me with wisdom—and how to grasp folly, so that I could see what was worthwhile for the sons of men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

4I increased my possessions. I built myself houses and I planted myself vineyards.

5I made royal gardens and parks for myself, and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.

6I constructed for myself pools of water to irrigate a forest of flourishing trees.

7I purchased male and female servants and had other servants who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than all my predecessors in Jerusalem.

8I also amassed silver and gold for myself, as well as the treasure of kings and the provinces. I acquired male and female singers for myself, as well as the luxuries of humankind—vaults and vaults of them.

9So I became far wealthier than all before me in Jerusalem, yet my wisdom stayed with me.

10I denied myself nothing that my eyes desired; I withheld from my heart no enjoyment. My heart took delight from all my toil— this was my reward for all my labor.

11Yet when I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended to accomplish it, behold, it all was futile and chasing after the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun.

12Then I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly. For what more can the one who succeeds the king do than what he has already done?

13I realized that: Wisdom is more beneficial than folly as light is better than darkness.