I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

So I was far wealthier than all my predecessors in Jerusalem, yet I maintained my objectivity:

I thought to myself, “I have become much wiser than any of my predecessors who ruled over Jerusalem; I have acquired much wisdom and knowledge.”

I purchased male and female slaves, and I owned slaves who were born in my house; I also possessed more livestock – both herds and flocks – than any of my predecessors in Jerusalem.