Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said I in heart my come! please let me put to [the] test you with pleasure and look on good and there! also it [was] futility.
I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good!” But it proved to be futile.
2 Of laughter I said [it is] folly and of pleasure what? this [is it] doing.
I said of laughter, “It is folly,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”
3 I searched in heart my to gratify with wine flesh my and heart my [was] guiding with wisdom and to take hold on folly until that I saw where? this [is] good for [the] children of humankind which they will do under the heavens [the] number of [the] days of lives their.
I sought to cheer my body with wine and to embrace folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—until I could see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.
4 I made great works my I built for myself houses I planted for myself vineyards.
I expanded my pursuits. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.
5 I made for myself gardens and parks and I planted in them tree[s] of every fruit.
I made gardens and parks for myself, where I planted all kinds of fruit trees.
6 I made for myself pools of water to water from them a forest sprouting of trees.
I built reservoirs to water my groves of flourishing trees.
7 I acquired [male] slaves and female slaves and sons of house he belonged to me also livestock herd[s] and flock[s] [surely] a multitude belonged to me more than all who were before me in Jerusalem.
I acquired menservants and maidservants, and servants were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me,
8 I gathered for myself also silver and gold and treasure of kings and provinces I acquired for myself male singers and female singers and [the] delights of [the] children of humankind breast and breasts.
and I accumulated for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered to myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men—many concubines.
9 And I became great and I increased more than any who was before me in Jerusalem also wisdom my it remained to me.
So I became great and surpassed all in Jerusalem who had preceded me; and my wisdom remained with me.
10 And all that they asked eyes my not I withheld from them not I restrained heart my from any pleasure for heart my [was] joyful from all toil my and this it was reward my from all toil my.
Anything my eyes desired, I did not deny myself. I refused my heart no pleasure. For my heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.
11 And I turned I on all works my that had done hands my and on the toil that I had toiled to do and there! everything [was] futility and striving of wind and there not [was] profit under the sun.
Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
12 And I turned I to consider wisdom and madness and folly for - what? [is] the person who will come after the king [that] which already people have done it.
Then I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what more can the king’s successor do than what has already been accomplished?
13 And I saw I that there [is] advantage of wisdom more than folly like [the] advantage of light more than darkness.
And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness:
14 The wise [person] eyes his [are] in head his and the fool in darkness [is] walking and I knew also I that fate one it will happen to all of them.
The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also came to realize that one fate overcomes them both.
15 And I said I in heart my like [the] fate of the fool also me it will happen to me and why? have I become wise I then excessively and I said in heart my that also this [is] futility.
So I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will also befall me. What then have I gained by being wise?” And I said to myself that this too is futile.
16 For there not [is] remembrance of the wise man with the fool for a long time in that already the days coming everything it has been forgotten and how! he will die the wise [person] with the fool.
For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, just as with the fool, seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come. Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool!
17 And I hated life for [was] evil on me the work that was done under the sun for everything [is] futility and striving of wind.
So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
18 And I hated I all toil my that I [was] a laborer under the sun that I will leave it to the person who will be after me.
I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.
19 And who? [is] knowing ¿ a wise [person] will he be or? a fool so he may have power over all toil my that I have toiled and that I worked skillfully under the sun also this [is] futility.
And who knows whether that man will be wise or foolish? Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked skillfully under the sun. This too is futile.
20 And I turned I to make despair heart my on all the toil that I have toiled under the sun.
So my heart began to despair over all the labor that I had done under the sun.
21 If there [was] a person who toil his [was] with wisdom and with knowledge and with skill and to a person who not he toiled in it he will give it portion his also this [is] futility and an evil great.
When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great evil.
22 For what? [is] becoming to the person in all toil his and in [the] striving of heart his that he [was] a laborer under the sun.
For what does a man get for all the toil and striving with which he labors under the sun?
23 For all days his [are] pains and [is] vexation task his also in the night not it rests heart his also this [is] futility it.
Indeed, all his days are filled with grief, and his task is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile.
24 There not [is] good for person that he will eat and he will drink and he will show self his good in toil his also this I have seen I that [is] from [the] hand of God it.
Nothing is better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy his work. I have also seen that this is from the hand of God.
25 For who? will he eat and who? will he enjoy outside from me.
For apart from Him, who can eat and who can find enjoyment?
26 For to anyone who [is] good before him he gives wisdom and knowledge and joy and to the sinner he gives a task to gather and to collect to give [it] to a [person] good before God also this [is] futility and striving of wind.
To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
