1 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also [is] vanity.
2 I said of laughter, [It is] mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
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.
4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all [kind of] fruits:
6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:
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:
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.
9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
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 labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all [was] vanity and vexation of spirit, and [there was] no profit under the sun.
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.
13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
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.
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.
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.
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.
18 Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise [man] or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This [is] also vanity.
20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.
21 For there is a man whose labour [is] in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it [for] his portion. This also [is] vanity and a great evil.
22 For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?
23 For all his days [are] sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
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 labour. This also I saw, that it [was] from the hand of God.
25 For who can eat, or who else can hasten [hereunto], more than I?
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.
Versículos relacionados com Ecclesiastes, 2:
Ecclesiastes 2 addresses the author's search for happiness and meaning in life through various experiences and enterprises, but in the end he concludes that everything is vanity and chasing the wind. To complement this theme, five related verses follow:
Proverbs 16:9: "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his footsteps." The author of Ecclesiastes tried to plan his life in search of happiness and success, but eventually realized that God's direction is the most important.
Matthew 6:19-21: "Do not help you treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break and steal. But help you treasures in the sky, where trace and rust do not destroy, and Where the thieves do not break or steal. For where your treasure is, then your heart will be. " This verse emphasizes the idea that the search for riches and material goods is in vain, as they do not bring lasting happiness.
Philippians 4:11-12: "I do not say this as by necessity, because I have learned to content with what I have. I know I know how to have abundance; in every way, and in all things I am instructed, both to be abundant and hungry; both to have abundance and to suffer need. " The author of Ecclesiastes tried to fill his inner emptiness with material goods and pleasures, but this verse points out that true happiness comes from contentment with what one has.
Romans 12:2: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but become the renewal of your mind, so that they are able to experience and prove the good, pleasant and perfect will of God." The author of Ecclesiastes realized that following the standards of the world and seeking happiness in worldly pleasures is futile, this verse points to the need for a renewal of mind to find true happiness.
Matthew 16:26: "For man will gain the whole world and lose his soul? Or, what can man give in exchange for his soul?" The author of Ecclesiastes tried to find meaning in life through pleasures and achievements, but this verse emphasizes the importance of prioritizing spiritual life and eternity.
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