Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:11
New King James Version
The Grief of Wisdom
12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I set my heart to seek and (A)search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; (B)this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be [a]exercised. 14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.
15 (C)What is crooked cannot be made straight,
And what is lacking cannot be numbered.
16 I communed with my heart, saying, “Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained (D)more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has [b]understood great wisdom and knowledge.” 17 (E)And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind.
18 For (F)in much wisdom is much grief,
And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
The Vanity of Pleasure(G)
2 I said (H)in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with (I)mirth; [c]therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, (J)this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter—“Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?” 3 (K)I searched in my heart how [d]to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was (L)good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives.
4 I made my works great, I built myself (M)houses, and planted myself vineyards. 5 I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made myself water pools from which to [e]water the growing trees of the grove. 7 I acquired male and female servants, and had [f]servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. 8 (N)I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and [g]musical instruments of all kinds.
9 (O)So I became great and [h]excelled (P)more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.
10 Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them.
I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure,
For my heart rejoiced in all my labor;
And (Q)this was my [i]reward from all my labor.
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done
And on the labor in which I had toiled;
And indeed all was (R)vanity and grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under the sun.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 1:13 Or afflicted
- Ecclesiastes 1:16 Lit. seen
- Ecclesiastes 2:1 gladness
- Ecclesiastes 2:3 Lit. to draw my flesh
- Ecclesiastes 2:6 irrigate
- Ecclesiastes 2:7 Lit. sons of my house
- Ecclesiastes 2:8 Exact meaning unknown
- Ecclesiastes 2:9 Lit. increased
- Ecclesiastes 2:10 Lit. portion
Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:11
New International Version
Wisdom Is Meaningless
12 I, the Teacher,(A) was king over Israel in Jerusalem.(B) 13 I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens.(C) What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind!(D) 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.(E)
15 What is crooked cannot be straightened;(F)
what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me;(G) I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom,(H) and also of madness and folly,(I) but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.
Pleasures Are Meaningless
2 I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure(L) to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. 2 “Laughter,”(M) I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” 3 I tried cheering myself with wine,(N) and embracing folly(O)—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 undertook great projects: I built houses for myself(P) and planted vineyards.(Q) 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves(R) who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold(S) for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces.(T) I acquired male and female singers,(U) and a harem[a] as well—the delights of a man’s heart. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem(V) before me.(W) In all this my wisdom stayed with me.
10 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 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;(X)
nothing was gained under the sun.(Y)
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 2:8 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
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