Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart, Come now, I will test thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with happiness. So enjoy pleasure.” But look, this also was just a temporary breeze.
2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
I said about laughter, “It is crazy,” and about pleasure, “What use is it?”
3 I sought in my heart to give myself to wine, yet acquainting my heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
I explored in my heart how to gratify my desires with wine. I let my mind guide me with wisdom although I was still holding on to folly. I wanted to find out what is good for people to do under heaven during the days of their lives.
4 I made for myself great works; I built houses; I planted vineyards:
I accomplished great things. I built houses for myself and planted vineyards.
5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
I built for myself gardens and parks; I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.
6 I made me pools of water, to water with them the wood that bringeth forth trees:
I created pools of water to water a forest where trees were grown.
7 I procured me male and female servants, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
I purchased male slaves and female slaves; I had slaves born in my palace. I also had large herds and flocks of livestock, much more than any king who ruled before me in Jerusalem.
8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the special treasure of kings and of the provinces: I procured me male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and of all sorts.
I also accumulated for myself silver and gold, the treasures of kings and provinces. I got male and female singers for myself—the delights of the children of humanity—and many concubines.
9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
So I became greater and wealthier than all who were before me in Jerusalem, and my wisdom remained with me.
10 And whatever my eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
Whatever my eyes desired, I did not withhold from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, because my heart rejoiced in all my labor and pleasure was my reward for all my work.
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
Then I looked on all the deeds that my hands had accomplished, and on the work that I had done, but again, everything was vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind. There was no profit under the sun in it.
12 And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.
Then I turned to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. For what can the next king do who comes after the king, which has not already been done?
13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
Then I began to understand that wisdom has advantages over folly, just as light is better than darkness.
14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.
The wise man uses his eyes in his head to see where he is going, but the fool walks in darkness, although I know the same event happens to all of them.
15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.
Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool, will also happen to me. So what difference does it make if I am very wise?” I concluded in my heart, “This too is only vapor.”
16 For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.
For the wise man, like the fool, is not remembered for very long. In the days to come everything will have been long forgotten. The wise man dies just like the fool dies.
17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous to me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
So I detested life because all the work done under the sun was evil to me. This was because everything is vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind.
18 Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it to the man that shall be after me.
I hated all my accomplishments for which I had worked under the sun because I must leave them behind to the man who comes after me.
19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour in which I have laboured, and in which I have showed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.
For who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will be master over everything under the sun that my work and wisdom have built. This also is vapor.
20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.
Therefore my heart began to despair over all the work under the sun that I did.
21 For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured in it shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
For there might be someone who works with wisdom, with knowledge, and skill, but he will leave everything he has to a man who has not made any of it. This also is vapor and a great tragedy.
22 For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, in which he hath laboured under the sun?
For what profit does the person gain who works so hard and tries in his heart to complete his labors under the sun?
23 For all his days are sorrows, and his labour grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
Every day his work is painful and stressful, so at night his soul does not find rest. This also is vapor.
24 There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.
There is nothing better for anyone than to simply eat and drink and be satisfied with what is good in his work. I saw that this truth comes from God's hand.
25 For who can eat, or who else can hasten to it, more than I?
For who can eat or who can have any kind of pleasure apart from God?
26 For God giveth to a man who is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth toil, to gather and to store up wealth, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
For to anyone who pleases him, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy. However, to the sinner he gives the work of gathering and storing up so that he may give it away to someone who pleases God. This also amounts to vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind.
