The Futility of Pleasure and Possessions: BIBLE, New American Standard Bible == BIBLE-CENTER

Ecclesiastes, Chapter 2, verses 1-11

¹ I said^ato myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So^benjoy yourself.” And behold, it too was futility. ² I said of laughter, “It is madness,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?” ³ I explored with my^cmind how to stimulate my body with wine while my^dmind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men^eto do under heaven the few^fyears of their lives. ⁴ I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself; 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^ghomeborn 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^hexerted, and behold all wasⁱvanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.

Ch1 29:25 Ecc 1:16

Ecc 6:2 Ecc 3:22 Ecc 5:18 Ecc 9:9

Ecc 1:14 Ecc 2:22 Ecc 2:23 Ecc 1:3 Ecc 3:9 Ecc 5:16


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