Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove you with mirth, and behold you good: and, behold, this is also vanity.
So then I thought to myself, “Alright, let me examine pleasure and see how good that is.” But this too turned out to be something temporary that passes.
2 I said to laughter, Madness: and to mirth, Why do you this:
I conclude that laughing your way through life is stupid, and pleasure—what use is that?
3 And I examined whether my heart would excite my flesh as [with] wine, (though my heart guided [me] in wisdom, ) and [I desired] to lay hold of mirth, until I should see of what kind is the good to the sons of men, which they should do under the sun all the days of their life.
Then I used my mind to examine the attraction of wine to my body. My mind still guiding me with wisdom, I took it until I acted like a fool, so that I might see whether this was good for people to do during their time here.
4 I enlarged my work; I built me houses; I planted me vineyards.
Then I tried great construction projects. I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself.
5 I made me gardens and orchards, and planted in them every kind of fruit tree.
I made for myself gardens and parks, planting them with all kinds of fruit trees.
6 I made me pools of water, to water from them the timber-bearing wood.
I constructed for myself reservoirs to water all these growing trees.
7 I got servants and maidens, and servants were born to me in the house: also I had abundant possession of flocks and herds, beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem.
I bought male and female slaves, and their children also belonged to me. I also owned many herds and flocks, more than anyone in Jerusalem before me.
8 Moreover I collected for myself both silver and gold also, and the peculiar treasures of kings and provinces: I procured me singing men and singing women, and delights of the sons of men, a butler and female cupbearers.
I collected for myself great quantities of silver and gold, paid to me as tribute by kings and provinces. I brought in for myself male and female singers, and enjoyed many concubines—all a man could want!
9 So I became great, and advanced beyond all that were before in Jerusalem: also my wisdom was established to me.
I became great—greater than anyone in Jerusalem before me. All the while my wisdom stayed with me.
10 And whatever mine eyes desired, I withheld not from them, I withheld not my heart from all my mirth: for my heart rejoiced in all my labour; and this was my portion of all my labour.
I didn't stop myself trying anything I wanted. Whatever I felt like enjoying, I did. I even enjoyed everything I had accomplished, a reward for all my work.
11 And I looked on all my works which my hands had wrought, and on my labour which I laboured to perform: and behold, all was vanity and waywardness of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun.
But when I thought about what I had worked so hard to achieve, everything I'd done, it was so short-lived—as significant as someone trying to catch the wind. There really is no enduring benefit here on earth.
12 Then I looked on to see wisdom, and madness, and folly: for who is the man who will follow after counsel, in all things where in he employs it?
So I started to think about wisdom—and madness and foolishness. For what can anyone who comes after the king do that hasn't already been done?
13 And I saw that wisdom excels folly, as much as light excels darkness.
I recognized that wisdom is better than foolishness just as light is better than darkness.
14 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness: and I perceived, even I, that one event shall happen to them all.
The wise see where they're going, but fools walk in darkness. But I also realized that they all come to the same end.
15 And I said in my heart, As the event of the fool is, so shall it be to me, even to me: and to what purpose have I gained wisdom? I said moreover in my heart, This is also vanity, because the fool speaks of his abundance.
Then I thought to myself, “If I'm going to end up the same as a fool, what's the point of being so wise?” So I thought to myself, “This is also hard to understand!”
16 For there is no remembrance of the wise man with the fool for ever; forasmuch as now [in] the coming days all things are forgotten: and how shall the wise man die with the fool?
Nobody remembers the wise or the fool for very long—in the future everything will be forgotten. Whether wise or foolish, they both die.
17 So I hated life; because the work that was wrought under the sun was evil before me: for all is vanity and waywardness of spirit.
So I ended up feeling disgusted with life because everything that happens here on earth is so distressing. It's so incomprehensible, like trying to control the wind.
18 And I hated the whole of my labour which I took under the sun; because I must leave it to the man who will come after me.
I even ended up hating what I had achieved here on earth because I have to hand it over to whoever comes after me.
19 And who knows whether he will be a wise [man] or a fool? and whether he will have power over all my labour in which I laboured, and wherein I grew wise under the sun? this is also vanity.
And who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? Yet he will rule over everything I accomplished through my wisdom here on earth. This is just so frustrating, so hard to understand!
20 so I went about to dismiss from my heart all my labour wherein I had laboured under the sun.
I decided to give up, my mind in despair over the significance of all my life's achievements.
21 For there is [such] a man that his labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in fortitude; [yet] this man shall give his portion to one who has not laboured therein. This is also vanity and great evil.
For you can work wisely, knowledgably, and with skill—and who benefits? Someone who hasn't worked for it! This is both frustrating and totally unjust!
22 For it happens to a man in all his labour, and in the purpose of his heart wherein he labours under the sun.
What do you get here on earth for all your hard work and worry?
23 For all his days [are days] of sorrows, and vexation of spirit is his; in the night also his heart rests not. This is also vanity.
Your working life is full of trouble and strife—even at night your thoughts keep you awake. This is tough to comprehend!
24 A man has nothing [really] good to eat, and to drink, and to show his soul [as] good in his trouble. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.
So what's the best thing to do? Eat, drink, and enjoy your work, recognizing as I did that these things are given to us by God,
25 For who shall eat, or who shall drink, without him?
for who can eat or enjoy life apart from him?
26 For [God] has given to the man who is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but he has given to the sinner trouble, to add and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God; for this is also vanity and waywardness of spirit.
To those who are good, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy. But to the sinner God gives the task of gathering and collecting wealth, only to hand it over to someone who pleases God. This also shows how fleeting life is, and hard to understand—like trying to understand how the wind blows.
