Ecclesiastes 2:4-11 - Qohelet's Investigation Of Personal Accomplishment

⁴ I made myself great works; I built myself houses; I planted myself vineyards; ⁵ I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits; ⁶ I made myself pools of water, to water with them the forest that brings forth trees; ⁷ I got myself slaves and maidens and had sons born in my house; also I had great possessions of cattle and sheep above all that were in Jerusalem before me; ⁸ I gathered unto myself also silver and gold and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces; I obtained men singers and women singers and all the delights of the sons of men, musical instruments, and those of all sorts. ⁹ So I was great and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem, and more than that, my wisdom remained with me. ¹⁰ And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them; I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour, and this was my portion of all my labour. ¹¹ At last I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought and on the labour that I had laboured to do; and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.