Wisdom Is Meaningless

¹² I, the Teacher,^(A) was king over Israel in Jerusalem.^{(B) 13} I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens.^(C) What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind!^{(D) 14} I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.^(E)

¹⁶ I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me;^(G) I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” ¹⁷ Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom,^(H) and also of madness and folly,^(I) but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.

Pleasures Are Meaningless

2 I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure^(L) to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. ² “Laughter,”^(M) I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” ³ I tried cheering myself with wine,^(N) and embracing folly^(O)—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.

⁴ I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself^(P) and planted vineyards.^{(Q) 5} I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. ⁶ I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. ⁷ I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves^(R) who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. ⁸ I amassed silver and gold^(S) for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces.^(T) I acquired male and female singers,^(U) and a harem^[a] as well—the delights of a man’s heart. ⁹ I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem^(V) before me.^(W) In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

Wisdom and Folly Are Meaningless

¹⁵ Then I said to myself,

Toil Is Meaningless

¹⁷ So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.^{(AI) 18} I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.^{(AJ) 19} And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish?^(AK) Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. ²⁰ So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. ²¹ For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. ²² What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun?^{(AL) 23} All their days their work is grief and pain;^(AM) even at night their minds do not rest.^(AN) This too is meaningless.

²⁴ A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink^(AO) and find satisfaction in their own toil.^(AP) This too, I see, is from the hand of God,^{(AQ) 25} for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?^{(AR) 26} To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom,^(AS) knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth^(AT) to hand it over to the one who pleases God.^(AU) This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

A Time for Everything

⁹ What do workers gain from their toil?^{(AZ) 10} I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.^{(BA) 11} He has made everything beautiful in its time.^(BB) He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet^[b] no one can fathom^(BC) what God has done from beginning to end.^{(BD) 12} I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. ¹³ That each of them may eat and drink,^(BE) and find satisfaction^(BF) in all their toil—this is the gift of God.^{(BG) 14} I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.^(BH)

¹⁶ And I saw something else under the sun:

¹⁷ I said to myself,

¹⁸ I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.^{(BM) 19} Surely the fate of human beings^(BN) is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath^[d]; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. ²⁰ All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.^{(BO) 21} Who knows if the human spirit rises upward^(BP) and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”

²² So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work,^(BQ) because that is their lot.^(BR) For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness

4 Again I looked and saw all the oppression^(BS) that was taking place under the sun:

⁴ And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.^(BY)

⁷ Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:

Advancement Is Meaningless

¹³ Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. ¹⁴ The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. ¹⁵ I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. ¹⁶ There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Fulfill Your Vow to God

5 ^[e]Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

⁴ When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it.^(CG) He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.^{(CH) 5} It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.^{(CI) 6} Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? ⁷ Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.^(CJ)

Riches Are Meaningless

⁸ If you see the poor oppressed^(CK) in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. ⁹ The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.

¹³ I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:^(CM)

¹⁶ This too is a grievous evil:

¹⁸ This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink^(CR) and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor^(CS) under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. ¹⁹ Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions,^(CT) and the ability to enjoy them,^(CU) to accept their lot^(CV) and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.^{(CW) 20} They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.^(CX)

6 I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on mankind: ² God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them,^(CY) and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.^(CZ)

³ A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn^(DA) child is better off than he.^{(DB) 4} It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded. ⁵ Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man— ⁶ even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?^(DC)