6. I made for me pools of water, to water from them a forest shooting forth trees.
7. I got men-servants, and maid-servants, and sons of the house were to me; also, I had much substance--herd and flock--above all who had been before me in Jerusalem.
8. I gathered for me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces. I prepared for me men-singers and women-singers, and the luxuries of the sons of man-- a wife and wives.
9. And I became great, and increased above every one who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood with me.
10. And all that mine eyes asked I kept not back from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labour, and this hath been my portion, from all my labour,
11. and I have looked on all my works that my hands have done, and on the labour that I have laboured to do, and lo, the whole [is] vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun!
12. And I turned to see wisdom, and madness, and folly, but what [is] the man who cometh after the king? that which [is] already--they have done it!
13. And I saw that there is an advantage to wisdom above folly, like the advantage of the light above the darkness.
14. The wise! --his eyes [are] in his head, and the fool in darkness is walking, and I also knew that one event happeneth with them all;
15. and I said in my heart, `As it happeneth with the fool, it happeneth also with me, and why am I then more wise?' And I spake in my heart, that also this [is] vanity:
16. That there is no remembrance to the wise--with the fool--to the age, for that which [is] already, [in] the days that are coming is all forgotten, and how dieth the wise? with the fool!