9 So I grew richer than anyone in Jerusalem before me. Yet, my wisdom remained with me.
10 If something appealed to me, I did it. I allowed myself to have any pleasure I wanted, since I found pleasure in my work. This was my reward for all my hard work.
11 But when I turned to look at all that I had accomplished and all the hard work I had put into it, I saw that it was all pointless. ⌊It was like⌋ trying to catch the wind. I gained nothing ⌊from any of my accomplishments⌋ under the sun.
12 Then I turned ⌊my attention⌋ to experience wisdom, madness, and foolishness. For instance, what can the man who replaces the king do? Only what has already been done.
13 But I saw that wisdom has an advantage over foolishness as light has an advantage over darkness.
14 A wise person uses the eyes in his head, but a fool walks in the dark. But I have also come to realize that the same destiny waits for both of them.
15 I thought to myself, “⌊If⌋ the destiny that waits for the fool waits for me as well, then what is the advantage in being wise?” So I thought that even this is pointless.