Ecclesiastes 2:1
I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
Solomon's words describe a deliberate turning away from fellowship with God to look for fulfillment in indulgence of the senses. In his own inner resolve he determined to put himself to the test by mirth and to take his fill of enjoyment while surrounded by prosperity. This trial of pleasure belonged to his wider pursuit of folly, a course of experimenting with what life apart from God could offer. The outcome was emptiness, for the delights and accomplishments he goes on to describe yielded no enduring contentment.