I saidto myself,"Comenow,I will testyou with pleasure.So enjoyyourself." And behold,it toowas futility.
"Come,let Us godownand thereconfusetheir language,sothat they will not understandoneanother'sspeech."
Then the kingof Aramsaid,"Gonow,and I will senda letterto the kingof Israel."He departedand tookwith him tentalentsof silverand sixthousand[shekels] of goldand tenchangesof clothes.
He saysto himself,"I will not be moved;Throughout allgenerationsI will not be in adversity."
The foolhas saidin his heart,"Thereis noGod."They are corrupt,they have committedabominabledeeds;Thereis noonewho doesgood.
[When You said], "SeekMy face,"my heartsaidto You, "Your face,O LORD,I shall seek."
Evenin laughterthe heartmay be in pain,And the endof joymay be grief.
Rejoice,youngman,during your childhood,and let your heartbe pleasantduring the daysof youngmanhood.And followthe impulsesof your heartand the desiresof your eyes.Yet knowthat Godwill bringyou to judgmentfor allthesethings.
Allthat my eyesdesiredI did not refusethem. I did not withholdmy heartfrom anypleasure,for my heartwas pleasedbecauseof allmy laborand thiswas my rewardfor allmy labor.
Then I saidto myself,"As is the fateof the fool,it will alsobefallme. Whythenhave I beenextremelywise?"So I saidto myself,"Thistoois vanity."
For whocan eatand whocan haveenjoymentwithoutHim?
The mindof the wiseis in the houseof mourning,While the mindof foolsis in the houseof pleasure.
So I commendedpleasure,for thereis nothinggoodfor a manunderthe sunexceptto eatand to drinkand to be merry,and thiswill standby him in his toils[throughout] the daysof his lifewhichGodhas givenhim underthe sun.
"So nowlet Me tellyou whatI am going to doto My vineyard:I will removeits hedgeand it will be consumed;I will breakdownits walland it will becometrampledground.
Behold,allyou who kindlea fire,Who encircleyourselves with firebrands,Walkin the lightof your fireAnd among the brandsyou have setablaze.Thisyou will havefrom My hand:You will liedownin torment.
The LordGODhas openedMy ear;And I was not disobedientNordid I turnback.
And I will sayto my soul,"Soul,you havemanygoodslaidup for manyyears[to come]; take your ease,eat,drink[and] be merry."'
"Nowthere was a richman,and he habitually dressedin purpleand fine linen,joyously livingin splendoreveryday.
"In Hadeshe liftedup his eyes,beingin torment,and sawAbrahamfarawayand Lazarusin his bosom.
For we alsooncewere foolishourselves,disobedient,deceived,enslavedto variouslustsand pleasures,spending our lifein maliceand envy,hateful,hatingone another.
Comenow,you who say,"Todayortomorrowwe will goto such and sucha city,and spenda yearthereand engage in businessand makea profit."
Comenow,you rich,weepand howlfor your miserieswhich are comingupon you.
You have lived luxuriouslyon the earthand led a life of wanton pleasure;you have fattenedyour heartsin a dayof slaughter.
