Without his help, who can eat or find pleasure?

论到吃用、享福，谁能胜过我呢？

论到吃用、享福，谁能胜过我呢？

论到吃用、享福，谁能胜过我呢？

离了上帝，谁还能吃喝享受呢？

离开了他（按《马索拉文本》“离开了他”作“除了我”；现参照《七十士译本》等古译本翻译），谁能有吃的呢？谁能享乐呢？

因为离了他，谁能吃喝，谁能享受呢？

論到吃用、享福，誰能勝過我呢？

論到吃用、享福，誰能勝過我呢？

論到吃用、享福，誰能勝過我呢？

離了上帝，誰還能吃喝享受呢？

離開了他（按《馬索拉文本》“離開了他”作“除了我”；現參照《七十士譯本》等古譯本翻譯），誰能有吃的呢？誰能享樂呢？

因為除非由他、誰能喫食，誰能享樂呢？

因為離了他，誰能吃喝，誰能享受呢？

論食與享、孰能勝於我乎、

論所食所享、孰能勝我、又作若非天主所許孰能食孰能享

for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?

for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?

For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him?

because who can eat and who can enjoy life apart from him?

For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?

For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?

For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?

because who can eat and who can enjoy life apart from Him?

For who can eat, or who else can hasten[ hereunto], more than I?

For no one can eat and drink or experience joy apart from him.

For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?

I said to myself,“ Come on. I’ll try out pleasure. I want to find out if it is good.” But it also proved to be meaningless.“ Laughter doesn’t make any sense,” I said.“ And what can pleasure do for me?”I tried cheering myself up by drinking wine. I even tried living in a foolish way. But wisdom was still guiding my mind. I wanted to see what was good for people to do on earth during their short lives.So I started some large projects. I built houses for myself. I planted vineyards.I made gardens and parks. I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.I made lakes to water groves of healthy trees.I bought male and female slaves. And I had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem ever had before.I stored up silver and gold for myself. I gathered up the treasures of kings and their kingdoms. I got some male and female singers. I also got many women for myself. Women delight the hearts of men.I became far more important than anyone in Jerusalem had ever been before. And in spite of everything, I didn’t lose my wisdom.I gave myself everything my eyes wanted. There wasn’t any pleasure that I refused to give myself. I took delight in everything I did. And that was what I got for all my work.But then I looked over everything my hands had done. I saw what I had worked so hard to get. And nothing had any meaning. It was like chasing the wind. Nothing was gained on this earth.I decided to think about wisdom. I also thought about foolish pleasure. What more can a new king do? Can he do anything more than others have already done?

Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines. He ruled as far as the border of Egypt. All those countries brought the gifts he required them to bring him. And Solomon ruled over those countries for his whole life.Here are the supplies Solomon required every day. five and a half tons of the finest flour 11 tons of mealten oxen that had been fed by hand 20 oxen that had been fed on grasslands 100 sheep and goats deer, antelopes and roebucks the finest birdsSolomon ruled over all the kingdoms that were west of the Euphrates River. He ruled from Tiphsah all the way to Gaza. And he had peace and rest on every side.