Ecclesiastes 2 Parallel Bible Translations

Ecclesiastes 2 ▼
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1 I thought to myself, |Now I want to experiment with pleasure and enjoy myself.| But even this was pointless. 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 thought, |Laughter doesn't make any sense. What does pleasure accomplish?| 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 explored ways to make myself feel better by drinking wine. I also explored ways to do [some] foolish things. During all that time, wisdom continued to control my mind. I was able to determine whether this was good for mortals to do during their brief lives under heaven. 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 accomplished some great things: I built houses for myself. I planted vineyards for myself. 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 gardens and parks for myself. I planted every kind of fruit tree in them. 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 pools to water the forest of growing 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 bought male and female slaves. In addition, slaves were born in my household. I owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 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 also gathered silver and gold for myself. I gathered the treasures of kings and provinces. I provided myself with male and female singers and the pleasures men have with one concubine after another. 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 So I grew richer than anyone in Jerusalem before me. Yet, my wisdom 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 If something appealed to me, I did it. I allowed myself to have any pleasure I wanted, since I found pleasure in my work. This was my reward for all my hard work. 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 turned to look at all that I had accomplished and all the hard work I had put into it, I saw that it was all pointless. [It was like] trying to catch the wind. I gained nothing [from any of my accomplishments] under the sun. 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 I turned [my attention] to experience wisdom, madness, and foolishness. For instance, what can the man who replaces the king do? Only what has already been 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 But I saw that wisdom has an advantage over foolishness as light has an advantage over darkness. 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 A wise person uses the eyes in his head, but a fool walks in the dark. But I have also come to realize that the same destiny waits for both of them. 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 I thought to myself, |[If] the destiny that waits for the fool waits for me as well, then what is the advantage in being wise?| So I thought that even this is pointless. 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 Neither the wise person nor the fool will be remembered for long, since both will be forgotten in the days to come. Both the wise person and the fool will die. 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 So I came to hate life because everything done under the sun seemed wrong to me. Everything was pointless. [It was like] trying to catch the wind. 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 came to hate everything for which I had worked so hard under the sun, because I will have to leave it to the person who replaces 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 Who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? He will still have control over everything under the sun for which I worked so hard and used my wisdom. Even this is pointless. 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 Then I fell into despair over everything for which I had worked so hard under the sun. 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 Here is someone who had worked hard with wisdom, knowledge, and skill. Yet, he must turn over his estate to someone else, who didn't work for it. Even this is pointless and a terrible tragedy. 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 What do people get from all of their hard work and struggles under the sun? 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 Their entire life is filled with pain, and their work is unbearable. Even at night their minds don't rest. Even this is pointless. 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 nothing better for people to do than to eat, drink, and find satisfaction in their work. I saw that even this comes from 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 Who can eat or enjoy themselves without God? for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?
26 God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to anyone who pleases him. But to the person who continues to sin, he gives the job of gathering and collecting [wealth]. The sinner must turn his wealth over to the person who pleases God. Even this is pointless. [It's like] trying to catch the wind. 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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