[Sidenote:  Eccles. 1:12-18] I, Koheleth, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.  And I applied my mind to searching out and exploring wisdom, all that is done under heaven:  it is an evil task that God hath given the children of men at which to toil.  I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, the whole is vanity and a striving after wind.  The crooked cannot be made straight; and the wanting cannot be numbered.  I communed with myself, saying, Behold, I have increased and gathered wisdom more than all who were before me in Jerusalem, and my mind has abundantly beheld wisdom and knowledge.  And I applied my mind to know wisdom and knowledge, madness and folly:  I know that this also is a striving after wind.  For in much wisdom is much trouble, and he who increases knowledge, increases pain.

[Sidenote:  Eccles. 2:1-11] I said in my mind, Come now, I will test you with pleasure; so look upon what is attractive; and, behold, this also is vanity.  I said of laughter, It is mad; and of pleasure, What does it do?  I searched in my mind, how to Stimulate my flesh with wine, while my mind was guiding with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, until I should see what is good for the children of men to do under the heavens all the days of their life.  I did great works:  I built for myself houses; I planted for myself vineyards; I made for myself gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them, every kind of fruit-tree.  I made for myself pools of water, to water a grove springing up with trees.  I bought male and female slaves and had slaves born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, more than all who had been before me in Jerusalem.  I also gathered for myself silver and gold, and the treasure of kings and of provinces.  I secured for myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men, mistresses of all kinds.  And I grew more wealthy than all who were before in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me.  And nothing that my eyes craved did I keep from them; I did not deny my heart any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor.  Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no gain under the sun.

[Sidenote:  Eccles. 2:12-17] And I turned to behold wisdom and madness, and folly; for what can the man do who comes after the king?  Even that which has been done already.  Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.  The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness:  yet I know that the same fate overtakes them all.  Then I said in my heart, As is the fate of a fool so will be my fate; so why have I then been more wise?  Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.  For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever, inasmuch as in the days to come all will have been already forgotten.  And how the wise man dies even as the fool!  So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun is evil to me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.