Ecclesiastes 2
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1 |
I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will
prove thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this
also is vanity.
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2 |
I said of laughter, It is mad: and
of mirth, What doeth it?
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3 |
I sought in mine heart to give myself
unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold
on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of
men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their
life.
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4 |
I made me great works; I builded me
houses; I planted me vineyards:
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5 |
I made me gardens and orchards, and I
planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
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6 |
I made me pools of water, to water
therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:
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7 |
I got me servants and maidens, and
had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great
and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before
me:
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8 |
I gathered me also silver and gold, and
the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men
singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts. 1 Kgs.
10.23-27 · 2
Chr. 9.22-27
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9 |
So I was great, and increased more than
all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with
me.
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10 |
And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept
not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart
rejoiced in all my labor: and this was my portion of all my
labor.
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11 |
Then I looked on all the works that my
hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do: and,
behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there
was no profit under the sun.
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12 |
And I turned myself to behold wisdom,
and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that
cometh after the king? even that which hath been already
done.
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13 |
Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly,
as far as light excelleth darkness.
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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.
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15 |
Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth
to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more
wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.
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16 |
For there is no remembrance of the
wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.
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17 |
Therefore I hated life; because the work
that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
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18 |
Yea, I hated all my labor which I had
taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that
shall be after me.
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19 |
And who knoweth whether he shall be a
wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labor
wherein I have labored, and wherein I have showed myself wise under
the sun. This is also vanity.
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20 |
Therefore I went about to cause my heart
to despair of all the labor which I took under the sun.
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21 |
For there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath
not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion. This
also is vanity and a great evil.
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22 |
For what hath man of all his labor, and
of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath labored under the
sun?
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23 |
For all his days are sorrows, and
his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This
is also vanity.
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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 labor. This also I saw, that
it was from the hand of God.
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25 |
For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?
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26 |
For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to
the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may
give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
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