Ecclesiastes 2 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

I said to myself, "Come now, let me test you with pleasure — enjoy what is good." But look, even that was vapor.

About laughter I said, "This is madness," and about pleasure, "What does this even accomplish?"

I explored in my mind how to stimulate my body with wine — while still guiding myself with wisdom — and how to grab hold of foolishness, until I could see what was actually good for people to do under the sky during their few days of life.

I took on massive projects. I built houses for myself. I planted vineyards for myself.

I designed gardens and parks, and planted every kind of fruit tree in them.

I made reservoirs to water a forest of growing trees.

I bought male and female servants, and had servants born in my household. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone before me in Jerusalem.

I also gathered silver and gold for myself — the treasuries of kings and provinces. I got male and female singers, and what delights any man: many women.

I became greater and wealthier than anyone before me in Jerusalem. And through it all, my wisdom stayed with me.

Whatever my eyes wanted, I didn't hold back. I didn't deny my heart any pleasure. My heart found joy in all my hard work, and that was my reward for all my effort.

Then I looked at everything my hands had done and all the effort I had poured into doing it — and look, it was all vapor, like chasing the wind. There was nothing of lasting value under the sun.

Then I turned to consider wisdom alongside madness and foolishness. After all, what can the next person who comes after the king do? Only what has already been done.

And I saw that wisdom has an advantage over foolishness, just like light has an advantage over darkness.

The wise person has eyes in their head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also realized that the same fate overtakes them both.

Then I thought to myself, "What happens to the fool will happen to me too. So what did I gain by being so wise?" And I said to myself, "This too is vapor."

Because the wise person, just like the fool, won't be remembered for long. In the days to come, everything will already be forgotten. How is it that the wise person dies just like the fool?

So I hated life, because everything done under the sun was unbearable to me — because it's all vapor, like chasing the wind.

And I hated all the things I had worked so hard for under the sun, because I'll have to leave them to whoever comes after me.

And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they'll have control over everything I worked for and applied my wisdom to under the sun. This too is vapor.

So I turned to despair over all the things I had worked so hard for under the sun.

Because here's a person who worked with wisdom, knowledge, and skill — and then they hand over their portion to someone who didn't put in any of the effort. This too is vapor, and a terrible wrong.

What does a person actually get from all their hard work and the anxious striving of their heart — all that they exhaust themselves with under the sun?

Because all their days are filled with pain, and their work is a source of frustration. Even at night their mind won't rest. This too is vapor.

There is nothing better for a person than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own hard work. This too, I saw, comes from the hand of God.

Because who can eat and who can find enjoyment apart from him?

To the person who is good in his sight, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy. But to the one who keeps failing, he gives the task of gathering and collecting — only to hand it over to the one who is good in God's sight. This too is vapor, like chasing the wind.