3
I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to takehold of folly, until* I could seewhat*good there is for the sons of men to dounderheaven the fewyears of their lives.
4
I enlarged my works: I builthouses for myself, I plantedvineyards for myself;
yiT.[;j'n ~yiT'B yil yityin'B y'f][;m yiT.l;D.gih ? ~yim'r.K yil
5
I madegardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruittrees;
~,h'b yiT.[;j'n.w ~yiseD.r;p.W tw{N;G yil yityif'[ ? yir,P -l'K #e[
6
I madeponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growingtrees.
r;[;y ~,hem tw{q.v;h.l ~Iy'm tw{ker.B yil yityif'[ ? ~yice[ ;xemw{c
7
I boughtmale and femaleslaves* and I hadhomeborn*slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herdslargerthanallwhopreceded me in Jerusalem.
h'y'h tIy;b -yen.b.W tw{x'p.v.W ~yid'b][ yityin'q ? yil h'y'h heB.r;h !a{c'w r'q'b h,n.qim ~;G yil ? ~i'l'v.WryiB y;n'p.l .Wy'h,v l{Kim
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*-manyconcubines.
~yik'l.m t;LUg.s.W b'h'z.w @,s,K -m;G yil yiT.s;n'K ? t{g.Wn][;t.w tw{r'v.w ~yir'v yil yityif'[ tw{nyid.M;h.w ? tw{Div.w h'Div ~'d'a'h yen.B
9
Then I becamegreat and increasedmorethanallwhopreceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdomalsostood by me.
10
All that my eyesdesired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from anypleasure, for my heart was pleasedbecause of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor.
11
Thus I consideredall my activitieswhich my hands had done and the laborwhich I had exerted, and beholdall was vanity and striving after wind and there was noprofitunder the sun.
15
Then I said to myself, "As is the fate of the fool, it will alsobefall me. Whythen have I beenextremelywise?" So I said to myself, "Thistoo is vanity."
16
For there is nolastingremembrance of the wiseman as with the fool, inasmuch as in the comingdaysall will be forgotten. And how the wiseman and the foolalikedie!
19
And whoknows whether he will be a wisemanor a fool? Yet he will have controloverall the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by actingwiselyunder the sun. Thistoo is vanity.
21
Whenthere is a manwho has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives his legacy to onewho has not labored with them. Thistoo is vanity and a greatevil.
24
There is nothingbetter for a man than to eat and drink and tellhimself that his labor is good. Thisalso I have seen that it is from the hand of God.
25
For who can eat and who can haveenjoymentwithout* Him?
yiN,Mim #.Wx v.Wx'y yim.W l;ka{y yim yiK
26
For to a personwho is good in His sight He has givenwisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to onewho is good in God'ssight. Thistoo is vanity and striving after wind.