(2.) =To laughter I said, Madness= (that which is made mad, see note to chapter i. 17), and =to pleasure= (or mirth), =What doth that do?= (as this expects the answer No, it is very nearly equivalent to ‘It _does_ nothing.’) (The Syriac reads here (‡ Syriac), ‘What is the usefulness,’ ‘gratification,’ or ‘delight’? It seems then as if the translators of this version recognised a play upon the words ‎‏מה הולל, ‘what a folly,’ and מהולל, ‘befooled,’――this being one of those equivokes in which Koheleth delights. The LXX. render verbatim, as is their custom, τὶ τοῦτο ποῖεις; ‘why doest thou this?’ but possibly with the same intention.) Koheleth next tries material enjoyment. The meaning of the following passage has been much disputed; we shall follow the rendering suggested by the LXX., which gives clear and intelligible sense. 3 I sought in mine heart │ I tried with my heart to ¹to give myself unto wine, yet │ allure as wine does one’s flesh acquainting mine heart with │ (that heart, however, being wisdom; and to lay hold on │ conducted with wisdom), and so folly, till I might see what │ get a hold over _false_ wisdom, _was_ that good for the sons │ so that I might see thereby of men, which they should do │ where lies the real good to under the heaven ²all the days │ the children of men, when they of their life. │ are working in _this_ world, as │ the tale of their daily lives. ¹ _Hebrew_ to draw my flesh │ [Accordingly] with wine. │ │ ² _Hebrew_ the number of the │ days of their life. │