אָמַרְתִּי אֲנִי בְּלִבִּי לְכָה־נָּא אֲנַסְּכָה בְשִׂמְחָה וּרְאֵה בְטוֹב וְהִנֵּה גַם־הוּא הָבֶל

I said in my heart: Instead of contemplating abstract problems, let us go now; I will pour wine for you, or, alternatively, I will test you, my body, with joy, and I will see goodness. I will live the good life. But behold, it too, enjoyment and sensual pleasure, is futility. It does nothing to resolve the questions of life, and it fails to calm the soul.

לִשְׂחוֹק אָמַרְתִּי מְהוֹלָל וּלְשִׂמְחָה מַה־זֹּה עֹשָׂה

Of laughter, I said: It is debauchery and wildness; and of joy, I said: What does it achieve, and what is its purpose? The attempt to live a life of pleasure gradually loses its appeal. People can host a party or two, drink wine, and attempt to rejoice, but over time they begin to question the ultimate objective of their laughter and merriment. Jokes cease to be funny, and joy departs from the heart.

תַּרְתִּי בְלִבִּי לִמְשׁוֹךְ בַּיַּיִן אֶת־בְּשָׂרִי וְלִבִּי נֹהֵג בַּחָכְמָה וְלֶאֱחֹז בְּסִכְלוּת עַד אֲשֶׁר־אֶרְאֶה אֵי־זֶה טוֹב לִבְנֵי הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשׂוּ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמַיִם מִסְפַּר יְמֵי חַיֵּיהֶם

Once unbridled debauchery lost its excitement and ceased to be attractive, I searched in my heart for another path, to tempt my flesh with wine and have my heart conduct itself with wisdom, and yet still grasp folly, human pleasures, until I could see what is best for the sons of man that they do beneath the heavens in the numbered, limited, days of their lives. I would try to live a successful and beneficial life without sinking into the depths of wisdom or the shallowness of merriment.

הִגְדַּלְתִּי מַעֲשָׂי בָּנִיתִי לִי בָּתִּים נָטַעְתִּי לִי כְּרָמִים

Consequently, I expanded my projects; I undertook a series of large-scale projects: I built for myself houses, planted for myself vineyards.

עָשִׂיתִי לִי גַּנּוֹת וּפַרְדֵּסִים וְנָטַעְתִּי בָהֶם עֵץ כָּל־פֶּרִי

I made for myself gardens and orchards and planted in them every fruit tree.

עָשִׂיתִי לִי בְּרֵכוֹת מָיִם לְהַשְׁקוֹת מֵהֶם יַעַר צוֹמֵחַ עֵצִים

I made for myself pools of water, to irrigate from them a forest of growing trees. I built a magnificent estate for myself.

קָנִיתִי עֲבָדִים וּשְׁפָחוֹת וּבְנֵי־בַיִת הָיָה לִי גַּם מִקְנֶה בָקָר וָצֹאן הַרְבֵּה הָיָה לִי מִכֹּל שֶׁהָיוּ לְפָנַי בִּירוּשָׁלִָם

I purchased slaves and maidservants, and I had home-born servants; I also had much livestock of cattle and sheep, beyond, more than, all who were before me in Jerusalem.

כָּנַסְתִּי לִי גַּם־כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב וּסְגֻלַּת מְלָכִים וְהַמְּדִינוֹת עָשִׂיתִי לִי שָׁרִים וְשָׁרוֹת וְתַעֲנֻגוֹת בְּנֵי הָאָדָם שִׁדָּה וְשִׁדּוֹת

I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the beautiful, unique, and rare treasure of kings and countries, the rare objects with which kings and the wealthy amuse themselves. I appointed for myself singers and songstresses to sing before me, and the pleasures of the sons of man, chests and wagons used for storing my collection of treasures. I was constantly in action, living a life of restless luxury.

וְגָדַלְתִּי וְהוֹסַפְתִּי מִכֹּל שֶׁהָיָה לְפָנַי בִּירוּשָׁלִָם אַף חָכְמָתִי עָמְדָה לִּי

I grew great, and I increased beyond all those who were before me in Jerusalem, not only because I am the son of a king, but because my wisdom too stood by me, so that I could invest my resources wisely.

וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר שָׁאֲלוּ עֵינַי לֹא אָצַלְתִּי מֵהֶם לֹא־מָנַעְתִּי אֶת־לִבִּי מִכָּל־שִׂמְחָה כִּי לִבִּי שָׂמֵחַ מִכָּל־עֲמָלִי וְזֶה־הָיָה חֶלְקִי מִכָּל־עֲמָלִי

Everything that my eyes sought, I did not withhold from them; I did not withhold my heart from any joy, for rather my heart rejoiced from all my toil, and that was my portion from all my toil.

וּפָנִיתִי אֲנִי בְּכָל־מַעֲשַׂי שֶׁעָשׂוּ יָדַי וּבֶעָמָל שֶׁעָמַלְתִּי לַעֲשׂוֹת וְהִנֵּה הַכֹּל הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ וְאֵין יִתְרוֹן תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ

After I had invested so heavily in constructing and creating new entities, I turned to comprehend all the actions that my hands had performed and the toil that I had toiled, and behold, after a long reflection upon these matters, I discovered that everything was futility and herding wind. None of the houses, fields, songs, ornaments, or pleasures provided any real benefit or had any significance. There was no advantage to all these under the sun.

ופָנִיתִי אֲנִי לִרְאוֹת חָכְמָה והוֹלֵלוֹת וְסִכְלוּת כִּי מֶה הָאָדָם שֶׁיָּבוֹא אַחֲרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵת אֲשֶׁר־כְּבָר עָשׂוּהוּ

I therefore turned in a different direction: To see the distinction between wisdom, debauchery, and folly. Following my unsuccessful attempts to investigate the entire range of activities performed under the sun and the potential to change events, I decided to analyze human wisdom philosophically and to understand the nature of foolishness without seeking to change the world. For who is the man who would come after the many acts of the king to do other than that which he already did?

וְרָאִיתִי אָנִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ יִתְרוֹן לַחָכְמָה מִן־הַסִּכְלוּת כִּיתְרוֹן הָאוֹר מִן־הַחֹשֶׁךְ

Initially I saw and thought that there is advantage to wisdom over folly, like the advantage of light over darkness.

הֶחָכָם עֵינָיו בְּרֹאשׁוֹ וְהַכְּסִיל בַּחֹשֶׁךְ הוֹלֵךְ וְיָדַעְתִּי גַם־אָנִי שֶׁמִּקְרֶה אֶחָד יִקְרֶה אֶת־כֻּלָּם

The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and he sees everything clearly, but the fool walks in darkness. Foolishness prevents a person from ascertaining the details of reality and understanding the world. Therefore, the wise man, who accurately assesses the situation and resolves problems that present themselves, is superior to the fool, who habitually stumbles in the darkness. But on second thought, I also knew that one fate will befall them all. Both the wise man and the foolish one will ultimately perish. What, then, remains of all his wisdom?

וְאָמַרְתִּי אֲנִי בְּלִבִּי כְּמִקְרֵה הַכְּסִיל גַּם־אֲנִי יִקְרֵנִי וְלָמָּה חָכַמְתִּי אֲנִי אָז יֹתֵר וְדִבַּרְתִּי בְלִבִּי שֶׁגַּם־זֶה הָבֶל

I said in my heart: Like the fate of the fool, so will befall me, I too will die; why, then, did I become wiser? What use was my additional wisdom? Then I said in my heart that this too, the search for wisdom, is futility.

כִּי אֵין זִכְרוֹן לֶחָכָם עִם־הַכְּסִיל לְעוֹלָם בְּשֶׁכְּבָר הַיָּמִים הַבָּאִים הַכֹּל נִשְׁכָּח וְאֵיךְ יָמוּת הֶחָכָם עִם־הַכְּסִיל

For there is no memory of the wise man with the fool forever. The memory of the wisdom of one person or the foolishness of another will not remain forever. After the passage of the coming days, everything is forgotten. Future generations will shrug at the wise man who has already left the world. How can the wise man die with the fool, without any difference between them?

וְשָׂנֵאתִי אֶת־הַחַיִּים כִּי רַע עָלַי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ כִּי־ הַכֹּל הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ

I hated life, for distressing to me was the deed that is performed under the sun, for everything is futility and herding wind. Even if one can enjoy, act, and create in this world, nothing lasts forever, and there is no significance to these actions beyond the here and now.

וְשָׂנֵאתִי אֲנִי אֶת־כָּל־עֲמָלִי שֶׁאֲנִי עָמֵל תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ שֶׁאַנִּיחֶנּוּ לָאָדָם שֶׁיִּהְיֶה אַחֲרָי

I hated all my toil that I have toiled under the sun, seeing that after my death, I will leave it to the man who will be after me.

וּמִי יוֹדֵעַ הֶחָכָם יִהְיֶה אוֹ סָכָל וְיִשְׁלַט בְּכָל־עֲמָלִי שֶׁעָמַלְתִּי וְשֶׁחָכַמְתִּי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ גַּם־זֶה הָבֶל

Who knows: Will he who inherits me be a wise man or a fool? I have no control over this matter. He will control all my toil that I have toiled and that I have become wise under the sun. Consequently, all of that, all my work too, is futility.

וְסַבּוֹתִי אֲנִי לְיַאֵשׁ אֶת־לִבִּי עַל כָּל־הֶעָמָל שֶׁעָמַלְתִּי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ

I shifted to a different path, to cause my heart to despair of all the toil that I have toiled under the sun. I decided not to invest any more effort in that toil.

כִּי־יֵשׁ אָדָם שֶׁעֲמָלוֹ בְּחָכְמָה וּבְדַעַת וּבְכִשְׁרוֹן וּלְאָדָם שֶׁלֹּא עָמַל־בּוֹ יִתְּנֶנּוּ חֶלְקוֹ גַּם־זֶה הֶבֶל וְרָעָה רַבָּה

For there is a man whose toil is in wisdom, in knowledge, and in skill, and he achieves greatness, but he will leave his portion to a man who did not toil in it. Ultimately, the one who inherits the fruit of his labor might lack all wisdom, knowledge, or skill. This too is futility and a great evil [ra’a], an evil that is worse than herding [re’ut] wind (see 1:14).

כִּי מֶה־הֹוֶה לָאָדָם בְּכָל־עֲמָלוֹ וּבְרַעְיוֹן לִבּוֹ שְׁהוּא עָמֵל תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ

For what is there for a man in all his toil and in the contemplation of his heart that he labors under the sun? Ultimately, what will he gain from all these deeds and thoughts?

כִּי כָל־יָמָיו מַכְאֹבִים וָכַעַס עִנְיָנוֹ גַּם־בַּלַּיְלָה לֹא־שָׁכַב לִבּוֹ גַּם־זֶה הֶבֶל הוּא

For all his days are pains, and anger is his concern; even at night his heart does not rest. Even when the body rests, his heart is not at ease. On the contrary, it is specifically then that all the questions unresolved during the day arise. This too, his night worries and his day preoccupations, is futility.

אֵין־טוֹב בָּאָדָם שֶׁיֹּאכַל וְשָׁתָה וְהֶרְאָה אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ טוֹב בַּעֲמָלוֹ גַּם זֹה רָאִיתִי אָנִי כִּי מִיַּד הָאֱלֹהִים הִיא

The obvious conclusion from this analysis is that one should refrain from exertion and amassing investments whose profits might never be realized, and simply enjoy the present. Accordingly, there is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and indulge his soul through his toil. This too, I saw that it is a gift from the hand of God, which is not dependent on man.

כִּי מִי יֹאכַל וּמִי יָחוּשׁ חוּץ מִמֶּנִּי

For after all, who will eat my food, or who will be quick to enjoy, or derive sensuous pleasure from my toil, other than me? My experiences are mine alone, and I gain no advantage or real benefit from them.

כִּי לְאָדָם שֶׁטּוֹב לְפָנָיו נָתַן חָכְמָה וְדַעַת וְשִׂמְחָה וְלַחוֹטֶא נָתַן עִנְיָן לֶאֱסֹף וְלִכְנוֹס לָתֵת לְטוֹב לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים גַּם זֶה הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ

For to the man who is good before Him, whose honor God desires, He gave wisdom, knowledge, and joy, so that he will feel some satisfaction from his work and reap the benefit. But to the sinner He gave the matter of gathering and amassing possessions, in order to ultimately give them to him who is good before God. The property that the sinner has collected will not remain his but will be given to one who finds favor in the eyes of God. Both the righteous and the wicked could have heirs whose paths diverge from the path of their parents. Consequently, this matter of amassing possessions or squandering them too is futility and herding wind.