New American Standard Bible

Darby Bible Translation

The Futility of Pleasure and Possessions

I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself.” And behold, it too was futility.

1

The Futility of Pleasures

I said in my heart, Come now, I will try thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure. But behold, this also is vanity.

2

I said of laughter, “It is madness,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”

2

I said of laughter, Madness! and of mirth, What availeth it?

3

I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives.

3

I searched in my heart how to cherish my flesh with wine, while practising my heart with wisdom; and how to lay hold on folly, till I should see what was that good for the children of men which they should do under the heavens all the days of their life.

4

I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself;

4

I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;

5

I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees;

5

I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of every kind of fruit;

6

I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees.

6

I made me ponds of water, to water therewith the wood, where the trees are reared.

7

I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem.

7

I acquired servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that had been in Jerusalem before me.

8

Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men — many concubines.

8

I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces; I got me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the children of men, a wife and concubines.

9

Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.

9

And I became great, and increased more than all that had been before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

10

All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor.

10

And whatsoever mine 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 from all my labour.

11

Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.

11

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that it had cost me to do [them]; and behold, all was vanity and pursuit of the wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

12

Wisdom Excels Folly

So I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly; for what will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done?

12

The Wise and the Foolish

And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly; for what shall the man [do] that cometh after the king? -- that which hath already been done.

13

And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.

13

And I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as light excelleth darkness.

14

The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one fate befalls them both.

14

The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness; but I myself also perceived that one event happeneth to them all.

15

Then I said to myself, “As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me. Why then have I been extremely wise?” So I said to myself, “This too is vanity.”

15

And I said in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool so will it happen even to me; and why was I then so wise? Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.

16

For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man and the fool alike die!

16

For there shall be no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; because everything is already forgotten in the days which come. And how dieth the wise even as the fool?

17

So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.

17

And I hated life; for the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

18

The Futility of Labor

Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me.

18

The Futility of Work

And I hated all my labour wherewith I had been toiling under the sun, because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

19

And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity.

19

And who knoweth whether he will be a wise [man] or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour at which I have laboured, and wherein I have been wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

20

Therefore I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun.

20

Then I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour wherewith I had laboured under the sun.

21

When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives his legacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil.

21

For there is a man whose labour hath been with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill, and who leaveth it to a man that hath not laboured therein, to be his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

22

For what does a man get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labors under the sun?

22

For what will man have of all his labour and of the striving of his heart, wherewith he hath wearied himself under the sun?

23

Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity.

23

For all his days are sorrows, and his travail vexation: even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.

24

There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.

24

There is nothing good for man, but 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.

25

For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?

25

For who can eat, or who be eager, more than I?

26

For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind.

26

For he giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he giveth travail to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good in God's sight. This also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

Parallel

New American Standard Bible

Darby Bible Translation

Ecclesiastes 2

Ecclesiastes 2