ECB(i)
3 I explored in my heart to draw my flesh to wine; yet driving my heart with wisdom: and to lay hold on folly until I see the good for the sons of humanity; which they work under the heavens the number of the days of their life.
4 I greatened my works; I built houses; I planted vineyards;
5 I worked gardens and orchards; and in them I planted trees of all fruits:
6 I worked pools of water to wet the forest to sprout trees;
7 I chattelized servants and maids and had sons of my house; I also had abundant chattel of oxen and flocks above all that were in Yeru Shalem at my face:
8 I also gathered silver and gold and the peculiar treasure of sovereigns and of the jurisdictions: I worked songsters and songtresses and the delights of the sons of humanity and mistresses of mistresses.
9 Thus I greatened and increased more than all ere my face in Yeru Shalem; also my wisdom stayed with me:
10 and whatever my eyes asked I set not aside from them, nor withheld my heart from any cheerfulness; for my heart cheered in all my toil: and this was my allotment of all my toil.
11 Then I faced all the works my hands worked and on the toil I toiled to work; and behold, all is vanity and gnawing of spirit and there is no advantage under the sun.
12 And I turned my face to see wisdom and madness and folly: but what of the human who comes after the sovereign - when that which is, was already worked?
13 And I saw that wisdom advantages over folly, as far as light advantages over darkness.
14 The eyes of the wise are in his head; and the fool walks in darkness; and I also perceived that what happens to one, happens to all.
15 And I said in my heart, As happens to the fool, happens even to me. Why then am I more enwisened? And I worded in my heart, that this also is vanity.
16 For there is no memorial of the wise more than of the fool eternally; that in the days to come, all is forgotten. And how die the wise? As the fool!
17 And I hated life; because the work worked under the sun is evil to me; for all is vanity and gnawing of spirit.
18 Yes, I hated all the toil I toiled under the sun; because I leave it to humanity after me.
19 And who knows whether he be wise or fool? - and yet dominates over all the toil I toiled wherein I enwisened myself under the sun. This is also vanity.
20 I turned my heart around to quit all the toil I toiled under the sun.
21 For there is a human whose toil is in wisdom and in knowledge and in prosperity; yet he gives his allotment to a human who never toiled therein. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 For what has humanity of all his toil and of the gnawing of his heart wherein he toiled under the sun?
23 For all his days are sorrows and his drudgery, vexation; yes, his heart lies not down in the night. This is also vanity.
24 Naught is better for a human, than to eat and drink and to delight his soul - to see good in his toil. This also I saw, that this is from the hand of Elohim.
25 For who eats, or who else hastens more than I?
26 - giving humanity what is good at his face - wisdom and knowledge and cheerfulness; and to the sinner he gives drudgery, to gather and to heap, to give him the good at the face of Elohim. This also is vanity and gnawing of spirit.