Ecclesiastes 2 Parallel Bible Translations

Ecclesiastes 2 ▼
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GENEVA
Geneva Bible of 1587
ESV
English Standard Version
NIV
New International Version
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1 I said in mine heart, Goe to nowe, I will proue thee with ioy: therefore take thou pleasure in pleasant things: and beholde, this also is vanitie. 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 I saide of laughter, Thou art mad: and of ioy, What is this that thou doest? 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 I sought in mine heart to giue my selfe to wine, and to leade mine heart in wisdome, and to take holde of follie, till I might see where is that goodnesse of the children of men, which they enioy vnder the sunne: the whole nomber of the dayes of their life. 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 haue made my great workes: I haue built me houses: I haue planted me vineyards. 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 haue made me gardens and orchards, and planted in them trees of all fruite. 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 haue made me cisternes of water, to water therewith the woods that growe with trees. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees.
7 I haue gotten seruants and maides, and had children borne in the house: also I had great possession of beeues and sheepe aboue all that were before me in Ierusalem. 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 haue gathered vnto me also siluer and gold, and the chiefe treasures of Kings & prouinces: I haue prouided me men singers and women singers, and the delites of the sonnes of men, as a woman taken captiue, & 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 great, & increased aboue all that were before me in Ierusalem: also my wisedome remained 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 whatsoeuer mine eyes desired, I withheld it not from them: I withdrew not mine heart from any ioy: for mine heart reioyced in al my labour: & this was my portion of all my trauaile. 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 Then I looked on all my workes that mine hands had wrought, and on the trauaile that I had laboured to doe: and beholde, all is vanitie and vexation of the spirit: and there is no profite 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 And I turned to beholde wisedome, and madnes and follie: (for who is the man that will come after the King in things, which men nowe haue done?) 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 Then I saw that there is profite in wisdome, more then in follie: as the light is more excellent then darkenes. 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 the wise mans eyes are in his head, but the foole walketh in darknes: yet I know also that the same condition falleth to them all. 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 I thought in mine heart, It befalleth vnto me, as it befalleth to ye foole. Why therefore doe I then labour to be more wise? And I sayd in mine heart, that this also is 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 there shalbe no remembrance of the wise, nor of the foole for euer: for that that now is, in the dayes to come shall all be forgotten; howe dyeth the wise man, as doeth 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 Therefore I hated life: for the worke that is wrought vnder the sunne is grieuous vnto me: for all is vanitie, and vexation of the spirit. 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 I hated also all my labour, wherein I had trauailed vnder the sunne, which I shall leaue to the man that shalbe 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 wise or foolish? yet shall hee haue rule ouer all my labour, wherein I haue trauailed, and wherein I haue shewed my selfe wise vnder the sunne. This is also vanitie. 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 Therefore I went about to make mine heart abhorre all the labour, wherein I had trauailed 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 For there is a man whose trauaile is in wisdome, and in knowledge and in equitie: yet to a man that hath not trauailed herein, shal he giue his portion: this also is vanitie and a great griefe. 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 hath man of all his trauaile and griefe of his heart, wherein he hath trauailed 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 For all his dayes are sorowes, and his trauaile griefe: his heart also taketh not rest in the night: which also is vanitie. 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 There is no profit to man: but that he eate, and drinke, & delight his soule with the profit of his labour: I saw also this, that it was of the hand 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 could eate, and who could haste to outward things more then I? for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?
26 Surely to a man that is good in his sight, God giueth wisdome, and knowledge, and ioy: but to the sinner he giueth paine, to gather, and to heape to giue to him that is good before God: this is also vanitie, and vexation of the spirit. 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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