Ecclesiastes 2 Parallel Bible Translations

Ecclesiastes 2 ▼
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BISHOPS
Bishops' Bible of 1568
ESV
English Standard Version
NIV
New International Version
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1 Then sayde I thus in my heart: Nowe go to, I will take myne ease, and haue good dayes: But lo, that is vanitie also. I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless.
2 Insomuch that I saide vnto the man geuen to laughter, thou art mad: and to mirth, what doest thou? I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” “Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?”
3 So I thought in my heart to geue my fleshe vnto wine, and agayne to apply my mynde vnto wisdome, and to comprehende foolishnesse: vntyll the tyme that among all the thynges which are vnder the sunne, I myght see what were best for men to do so long as they liue vnder heauen. I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.
4 I made gorgious faire workes: I builded my houses, and planted vineyardes. I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards.
5 I made me orchardes and gardens of pleasure, and planted trees in them of all maner of fruites. I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.
6 I made pooles of water, to water the greene and fruitfull trees withall. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees.
7 I bought seruauntes and maydens, and had a great housholde: As for cattel and sheepe, I had more substaunce of them then all they that were before me in Hierusalem. I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me.
8 I gathered together siluer and golde, and the chiefe treasures of kynges and landes: I haue prouided me men singgers and women singers, and the delites of the sonnes of men, as a woman taken captiue, and women taken captiues. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man. I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well—the delights of a man’s heart.
9 And I was greater and in more worship then all my predecessours in Hierusalem: For wisdome remayned with me. So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.
10 And loke whatsoeuer myne eyes desired, I let them haue it: and wherin soeuer my heart delited or had any pleasure, I withhelde it not from it: Thus my heart reioyced in all that I did, and this was my portion of all my trauayle. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil.
11 But when I considered all the workes that my handes had wrought, and all the labour that I had taken therin: lo all was but vanitie and vexation of mynde, and nothing of any value vnder the sunne. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.
12 Then turned I me to consider wisdome, errour, and foolishnesse (for what is he among men that myght be compared to me the kyng in such workes?) So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. What more can the king’s successor do than what has already been done?
13 And I sawe that wisdome excelleth foolishnesse, as farre as light doth darknesse. Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness.
14 For a wise man hath his eyes in his head, but the foole goeth in darknesse: I perceaued also that they both had one ende. The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. The wise have eyes in their heads, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both.
15 Then thought I in my mynde, yf it happen vnto the foole as it doth vnto me, what needeth me then to labour any more for wisdome? So I confessed within my heart that this also was but vanitie. Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. Then I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?” I said to myself, “This too is meaningless.”
16 For the wise are euer as litle in remembraunce as the foolishe: for the dayes shall come when all shalbe forgotten: yea the wise man dyeth as well as the foole. For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered; the days have already come when both have been forgotten. Like the fool, the wise too must die!
17 Thus began I to be weery of my life, insomuch that I coulde away with nothyng that is done vnder the sunne: for all was but vanitie and vexation of mynde. So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind. So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
18 Yea I was weery of my labour which I had taken vnder the sunne, because I shoulde be fayne to leaue them vnto another man that commeth after me: I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.
19 And who knoweth whether he shalbe a wise man or a foole? And yet shall he be lorde of all my laboures which I with such wisdome haue taken vnder the sunne: This is also a vayne thyng. and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless.
20 So I turned me to refrayne my mynde from all such trauayle as I toke vnder the sunne, So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun.
21 Forsomuch as a man shoulde weery hym selfe with wisdome, with vnderstandyng and oportunitie, and yet be fayne to leaue his labours vnto another that neuer sweat for them: This is also a vayne thyng, and great miserie. because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.
22 For what getteth a man of all the labour and trauayle of his mynde that he taketh vnder the sunne? What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun?
23 But heauinesse, sorowe, and disquietnesse all the dayes of his life? Insomuch that his heart can not rest in the nyght: This is also a vayne thyng. 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. All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.
24 Is it not better then for a man to eate and drynke, and his soule to be mery in his labour? yea I sawe that this also was a gift of God. There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God,
25 For who wyll eate or go more lustyly to his worke then I? for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?
26 And why? God geueth to the man that is good before hym, wisdome, vnderstandyng, and gladnesse: but vnto the sinner he geueth weerinesse, that he may gather and heape together the thyng that afterwarde shalbe geuen vnto hym whom it pleaseth God: This is nowe a vayne thyng, yea a very disquietnesse and vexation of mynde. For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
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