Scriptures

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Ecclesiastes 2
⁵ I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees;
⁶ I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees.
⁷ I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem.
⁸ Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men-many concubines.
⁹ Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.
¹⁰ All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor.
¹¹ Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.
¹² So I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly; for what will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done?
¹³ And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.
¹⁴ The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one fate befalls them both.
¹⁵ Then I said to myself, "As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me. Why then have I been extremely wise?" So I said to myself, "This too is vanity."