The Vanity of Self-Indulgence
1 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; senjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity.1 2 I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3 I searched with my heart how to tcheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on ufolly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the vfew days of their life. 4 I made great works. I wbuilt houses and planted xvineyards for myself. 5 I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also ygreat possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and zgold and the atreasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, bboth men and women, and cmany concubines,2 the delight of the sons of man.
9 So I became great and dsurpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my ereward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a fstriving after wind, and there was nothing to be ggained under the sun.
The Vanity of Living Wisely
12 So I turned to consider wisdom and hmadness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? iOnly what has already been done. 13 Then I saw that there is more gain in jwisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. 14 The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. kAnd yet I perceived that lthe same event happens to all of them. 15 Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. 16 For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring mremembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How nthe wise dies just like the fool! 17 So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind.
The Vanity of Toil
18 I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must oleave it to the man who will come after me, 19 and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, 21 because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 What has a man from all the ptoil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? 23 For qall his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity.
24 rThere is nothing better for a person than that he should seat and drink and find enjoyment3 in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, 25 for apart from him4 who can eat or who can have enjoyment? 26 For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, tonly to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
Jesus at the Feast of Booths
1 After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would mnot go about in Judea, because the Jews1 were nseeking to kill him. 2 Now othe Jews’ pFeast of Booths was at hand. 3 So his brothers2 said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, qshow yourself to the world.” 5 For rnot even his brothers believed in him. 6 Jesus said to them, s“My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it thates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to the feast. I am not3 going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After saying this, he remained in Galilee.
10 But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. 11 The Jews were ulooking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” vothers said, “No, he is leading the people astray.” 13 Yet wfor fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.
