I saidto myself,"Comenow,I will testyou with pleasure.So enjoyyourself." And behold,it toowas futility.
And I will sayto my soul,"Soul,you havemanygoodslaidup for manyyears[to come]; take your ease,eat,drink[and] be merry."'
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.
You have lived luxuriouslyon the earthand led a life of wanton pleasure;you have fattenedyour heartsin a dayof slaughter.
Comenow,you rich,weepand howlfor your miserieswhich are comingupon you.
[When You said], "SeekMy face,"my heartsaidto You, "Your face,O LORD,I shall seek."
Comenow,you who say,"Todayortomorrowwe will goto such and sucha city,and spenda yearthereand engage in businessand makea profit."
For we alsooncewere foolishourselves,disobedient,deceived,enslavedto variouslustsand pleasures,spending our lifein maliceand envy,hateful,hatingone another.
"Nowthere was a richman,and he habitually dressedin purpleand fine linen,joyously livingin splendoreveryday.
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.
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.
The mindof the wiseis in the houseof mourning,While the mindof foolsis in the houseof pleasure.
Then I saidto myself,"As is the fateof the fool,it will alsobefallme. Whythenhave I beenextremelywise?"So I saidto myself,"Thistoois vanity."
The foolhas saidin his heart,"Thereis noGod."They are corrupt,they have committedabominabledeeds;Thereis noonewho doesgood.
He saysto himself,"I will not be moved;Throughout allgenerationsI will not be in adversity."
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.
"Come,let Us godownand thereconfusetheir language,sothat they will not understandoneanother'sspeech."
"In Hadeshe liftedup his eyes,beingin torment,and sawAbrahamfarawayand Lazarusin his bosom.
"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.
Evenin laughterthe heartmay be in pain,And the endof joymay be grief.
Allthat my eyesdesiredI did not refusethem. I did not withholdmy heartfrom anypleasure,for my heartwas pleasedbecauseof allmy laborand thiswas my rewardfor allmy labor.
For whocan eatand whocan haveenjoymentwithoutHim?
