1I said in my heart, "Come now, let me test you with joy and see what is good." And behold, this too is vanity.2I said of laughter, "It is mad," and of joy, "What does this accomplish?"3I resolved in my heart to draw my flesh into wine while my heart leads with wisdom and to grasp folly, until I see what is pleasant for the sons of man to do under heaven during the number of the days of their life.4I made my works great. I built houses for myself. I planted vineyards for myself.5I made gardens and parks for myself, and I planted in them trees of every fruit.6I made pools of water for myself from which to water a forest of growing trees.7I acquired male and female servants, and sons of the household; I also had livestock—cattle and flocks—in abundance, more than all who were before me in Jerusalem.8I gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of the sons of man—concubines.9So I became greater and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem; moreover, my wisdom remained with me.10I did not refuse my eyes anything they asked, nor did I withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart was glad because of all my toil, and this was my portion from all my toil.11Then I turned to consider all the work that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all of it was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.