1894.] ^15 [Morris, 



13 And I gave ray heart to seek out 

 And to observe in wisdom 



Concerning all things happening under heaven : 

 For a difficult task God has given to the sons of men, 

 That they should be exercised in it. 



14 I saw all the deeds done under the sun : 



And behold all is perplexity and grasping of wind. 



15 The scattered cannot be arranged in order, 

 And that which is lacking cannot be numbered. 



16 I spoke in my heart to say : 



Behold I am increased, and have added wisdom 



Above all who were before me in Jerusalem. 



And I gave my heart to know wisdom and knowledge: 



17 And my heart considered many things. 



Wisdom and knowledge, parables and understanding. 

 I knew that even this is a grasping of wind ; 



18 For in abundance o^ wisdom is an abundance of knowledge • 

 And the one adding knowledge adds pain. 



^ I said in my heart, Come, I will prove thee in pleasure, 

 And see into the good : and lo even this too is perplexity. 



2 I said to laughter, It is excess ; 



And to pleasure, Why doest thou this ? 



3 And I observed whether my heart would heat my flesh as wine : 

 And my heart walked in wisdom 



And to seize upon pleasure ; 



That I might see what is good for the sons of men. 



What they should do under the sun 



All the days of their life. 



4 I increased my working : 



I builded me houses : I planted me vineyards : 



5 I made for myself gardens and parks 

 And I planted in them every tree of fruit. 



6 I made for me fountains of waters 



To water thence the forest producing the trees. 



7 I bought me men slaves and women slaves. 

 And house servants were born to me : 



And even the possession of herd and flock was great. 

 Beyond all that had been before me in Jerusalem. 



8 I gathered me even silver and gold. 



And the treasures of Kings and of the countries. 



I made for myself songsters and songstresses. 



And luxuries of sons of men, cupbearer and female cupbearers. 



9 And I was increased, and added 



Beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem : 

 And indeed my wisdom remained with me. 

 10 And all which my eyes desired I withheld not from them : 



