Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless. New Living Translation Their days of labor are filled with pain and grief; even at night their minds cannot rest. It is all meaningless. English Standard Version For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity. Berean Standard Bible 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. King James Bible For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity. New King James Version For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity. New American Standard Bible Because all his days his activity is painful and irritating; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is futility. NASB 1995 Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity. NASB 1977 Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity. Legacy Standard Bible Because all his days his endeavor is painful and vexing; even at night his heart does not lie down. This too is vanity. Amplified Bible For all his days his work is painful and sorrowful; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity (worthless). Christian Standard Bible For all his days are filled with grief, and his occupation is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile. Holman Christian Standard Bible For all his days are filled with grief, and his occupation is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile. American Standard Version For all his days are but sorrows, and his travail is grief; yea, even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity. Contemporary English Version Our bodies ache during the day, and work is torture. Then at night our thoughts are troubled. It just doesn't make sense. English Revised Version For all his days are but sorrows, and his travail is grief; yea, even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity. GOD'S WORD® Translation Their entire life is filled with pain, and their work is unbearable. Even at night their minds don't rest. Even this is pointless. Good News Translation As long as you live, everything you do brings nothing but worry and heartache. Even at night your mind can't rest. It is all useless. International Standard Version Indeed, all of his days are filled with sorrow, and his struggles bring grief. In fact, his mind remains restless throughout the night. This is pointless, too! Majority Standard Bible 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. NET Bible For all day long his work produces pain and frustration, and even at night his mind cannot relax! This also is futile! New Heart English Bible For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity. Webster's Bible Translation For all his days are sorrows, and his labor grief; yes, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity. World English Bible For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionFor all his days are sorrows, and his travail sadness; even at night his heart has not lain down; this [is] also vanity. Young's Literal Translation For all his days are sorrows, and his travail sadness; even at night his heart hath not lain down; this also is vanity. Smith's Literal Translation For all his days pains, and vexation, his labor; also in the night his heart rested not Also this it is vanity. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAll his days axe full of sorrows and miseries, even in the night he doth not rest in mind: and is not this vanity? Catholic Public Domain Version All his days have been filled with sorrows and hardships; neither does he rest his mind, even in the night. And is this not emptiness? New American Bible Every day sorrow and grief are their occupation; even at night their hearts are not at rest. This also is vanity. New Revised Standard Version For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This also is vanity. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleFor all his days are full of sorrows, and his travail is grief; yea, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated For all his days are sorrow and his work is grief, also his heart at night does not lie down, and this also is futility OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917For all his days are pains, and his occupation vexation; yea, even in the night his heart taketh not rest. This also is vanity. Brenton Septuagint Translation 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. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Futility of Work…22For what does a man get for all the toil and striving with which he labors under the sun? 23Indeed, all his days are filled with grief, and his task is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile. 24Nothing 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.… Cross References Genesis 3:17-19 And to Adam He said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat, cursed is the ground because of you; through toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. / Both thorns and thistles it will yield for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. / By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground—because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” Job 5:7 Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward. Psalm 90:10 The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty if we are strong—yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. Romans 8:20-22 For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but because of the One who subjected it, in hope / that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. / We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time. Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own. Psalm 39:5-6 You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah / Surely every man goes about like a phantom; surely he bustles in vain; he heaps up riches not knowing who will haul them away. Job 14:1 “Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day. / For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison. / So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Psalm 127:2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for bread to eat—for He gives sleep to His beloved. Isaiah 65:22-23 No longer will they build houses for others to inhabit, nor plant for others to eat. For as is the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, and My chosen ones will fully enjoy the work of their hands. / They will not labor in vain or bear children doomed to disaster; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD—they and their descendants with them. Romans 7:24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 1 Peter 1:24 For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, Psalm 73:16-17 When I tried to understand all this, it was troublesome in my sight / until I entered God’s sanctuary; then I discerned their end. Philippians 2:14-16 Do everything without complaining or arguing, / so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world / as you hold forth the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. Job 7:1-3 “Is not man consigned to labor on earth? Are not his days like those of a hired hand? / Like a slave he longs for shade; like a hireling he waits for his wages. / So I am allotted months of futility, and nights of misery are appointed to me. Treasury of Scripture For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yes, his heart takes not rest in the night. This is also vanity. all Genesis 47:9 And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage. Job 5:7 Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. Job 14:1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. his heart Ecclesiastes 5:12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep. Esther 6:1 On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. Job 7:13,14 When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint; … Jump to Previous Full Grief Grievous Heart Labor Mind Night Occupation Pain Painful Pains Purpose Rest Sadness Sorrow Sorrows Task Travail Vanity Vexation WorkJump to Next Full Grief Grievous Heart Labor Mind Night Occupation Pain Painful Pains Purpose Rest Sadness Sorrow Sorrows Task Travail Vanity Vexation WorkEcclesiastes 2 1. the vanity of human courses is the work of pleasure12. Though the wise be better than the fool, yet both have one event 18. The vanity of human labor, in leaving it they know not to whom 24. Nothing better than joy in our labor but that is God's gift For all his days This phrase emphasizes the entirety of a person's life. In the Hebrew context, "days" (יָמִים, yamim) often signifies the span of one's life. The Preacher, traditionally understood as Solomon, reflects on the human condition, suggesting that the struggle and toil are not just occasional but persistent throughout life. This perspective aligns with the broader biblical narrative of life post-Fall, where labor is marked by hardship (Genesis 3:17-19). his work is grief and pain even at night his mind does not rest This too is futile Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Indeed,כִּ֧י (kî) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction all כָל־ (ḵāl) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every his days יָמָ֣יו (yā·māw) Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 3117: A day are filled with grief, מַכְאֹבִ֗ים (maḵ·’ō·ḇîm) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 4341: Anguish, affliction and his task עִנְיָנ֔וֹ (‘in·yā·nōw) Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 6045: Ado, employment, an affair is sorrowful; וָכַ֙עַס֙ (wā·ḵa·‘as) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 3708: Vexation, anger even גַּם־ (gam-) Conjunction Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and at night, בַּלַּ֖יְלָה (bal·lay·lāh) Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 3915: A twist, night, adversity his mind לִבּ֑וֹ (lib·bōw) Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre does not לֹא־ (lō-) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no rest. שָׁכַ֣ב (šā·ḵaḇ) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 7901: To lie down This זֶ֖ה (zeh) Pronoun - masculine singular Strong's 2088: This, that too גַּם־ (gam-) Conjunction Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and is futile. הֶ֥בֶל (he·ḇel) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1892: Emptiness, vanity, transitory, unsatisfactory Links Ecclesiastes 2:23 NIVEcclesiastes 2:23 NLT Ecclesiastes 2:23 ESV Ecclesiastes 2:23 NASB Ecclesiastes 2:23 KJV Ecclesiastes 2:23 BibleApps.com Ecclesiastes 2:23 Biblia Paralela Ecclesiastes 2:23 Chinese Bible Ecclesiastes 2:23 French Bible Ecclesiastes 2:23 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 2:23 For all his days are sorrows (Ecclesiast. 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