A king pours himself into laughter, wine, building projects, and a fortune of silver and gold across 26 verses, then calls all of it vanity and a chasing after wind.
Full sung version coming soon.
Lyrics
I said in my heart Come now, I will test you with mirth
Therefore enjoy pleasure and behold this also was vanity I said of laughter it is foolishness And of mirth what does it accomplish I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine
My heart yet guiding me with wisdom And how to lay hold of folly Until I might see what it was good for the sons of men That they should do under heaven all the days of their lives
I made myself great works I built myself houses and planted myself vineyards I made myself gardens and parks And planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit
I made myself pools of water To water the forest where trees were grown I bought male servants and female servants And had servants born in my house
I also had great possessions of herds and flocks Above all who were before me in Jerusalem I also gathered silver and gold for myself And the treasure of kings and of the provinces
Whatever my eyes desired I didn’t keep from them I didn’t withhold my heart from any joy For my heart rejoiced because of all my labour
But then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked At the labour that I had laboured to do And behold all was vanity And a chasing after wind
So I hated life because the work was grievous to me All is vanity and a chasing after wind
Listen
Ecclesiastes 2 sung by Psalm Selah. The whole Bible, one chapter at a time.