Ecclesiastes 2
King James Version
2 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
3 I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:
7 I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
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 of all my labour.
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.
13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
14 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.
15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.
16 For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.
17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
18 Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.
20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.
21 For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?
23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
24 There is nothing better for a man, than 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, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?
26 For God 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 before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Ecclesiastes 2
English Standard Version
The Vanity of Self-Indulgence
2 I (A)said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity.[a] 2 I (B)said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3 I (C)searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on (D)folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4 I made great works. I (E)built houses and planted (F)vineyards for myself. 5 I made myself (G)gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and had (H)slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of (I)herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and (J)gold and the treasure of (K)kings and (L)provinces. I got (M)singers, both men and women, and many (N)concubines,[b] the delight of the sons of man.
9 So I became great and (O)surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my (P)wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart (Q)found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my (R)reward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was (S)vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing (T)to be gained under the sun.
The Vanity of Living Wisely
12 (U)So I turned to consider (V)wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only (W)what has already been done. 13 Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. 14 (X)The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the (Y)same event happens to all of them. 15 Then I said in my heart, (Z)“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. 16 For of the wise as of the fool there is (AA)no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. (AB)How the wise dies just like the fool! 17 So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for (AC)all is vanity and a striving after wind.
The Vanity of Toil
18 I hated (AD)all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must (AE)leave it to the man who will come after me, 19 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. 20 So I (AF)turned about and gave my heart up to despair (AG)over all the toil of my labors under the sun, 21 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. 22 What has a man from (AH)all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? 23 For (AI)all his days are full of sorrow, and his (AJ)work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity.
24 (AK)There is nothing better for a person than that he should (AL)eat and drink and find enjoyment[c] in his toil. This also, I saw, is (AM)from the hand of God, 25 for apart from him[d] who can eat or who can have enjoyment? 26 For to the one who pleases him (AN)God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given (AO)the business of gathering and collecting, (AP)only to give to one who pleases God. (AQ)This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 2:1 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verses 11, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 26 (see note on 1:2)
- Ecclesiastes 2:8 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
- Ecclesiastes 2:24 Or and make his soul see good
- Ecclesiastes 2:25 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts apart from me
Ecclesiastes 2
International Children’s Bible
Does “Having Fun” Bring Happiness?
2 I said to myself, “I will try having fun. I will enjoy myself.” But I found that this is also useless. 2 It is foolish to laugh all the time. Having fun gets nothing done. 3 I decided to cheer myself up with wine. At the same time my mind was still thinking wisely. I wanted to find a way to enjoy myself. I wanted to see what was good for people to do during their few days of life.
Does Hard Work Bring Happiness?
4 Then I did great things. I built houses, and I planted vineyards for myself. 5 I planted gardens, and I made parks. I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made pools of water for myself. And I used them to water my growing trees. 7 I bought men and women slaves. Slaves were also born in my house. I had large herds of cattle and flocks of sheep. I had more than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I also gathered silver and gold for myself. I took treasures from kings and other areas. I had men and women singers. I had all the wives a man could ever want. 9 I became very famous. I was greater than anyone who had lived in Jerusalem before me. My wisdom helped me in all this.
10 Anything I saw and wanted, I got for myself.
I did not miss any pleasure I desired.
I was pleased with everything I did.
And this pleasure was the reward for all my hard work.
11 But then I looked at what I had done.
I thought about all the hard work.
Suddenly I realized it was just a waste of time, like chasing the wind!
There is nothing to gain from anything we do here on earth.
Maybe Wisdom Is the Answer
12 Then I began to think again about being wise.
And I thought also about being foolish and doing crazy things.
But after all, what more can any king do?
He can only do what some other king has already done.
13 I saw that being wise is certainly better than being foolish,
just as light is better than darkness.
14 A wise man sees where he is going.
But a foolish person is like someone walking around in the dark.
Yet I saw that
both the foolish person and the wise man end the same way.
15 I thought to myself,
“What happens to a foolish person will happen to me, too.
So what do I get for being so wise?”
I said to myself,
“Being wise is also useless.”
16 The wise man and the foolish person
will both die!
People will not remember either one forever.
In the future, both will be forgotten.
Is There Real Happiness in Life?
17 So I hated life. It made me sad to think that everything here on earth is useless. It is like chasing the wind. 18 I hated all the things I had worked for here on earth. I hated them because I must leave them to someone who will live after me. 19 Someone else will control everything for which I worked so hard here on earth. And I don’t know if he will be wise or foolish. This is also useless. 20 So I became sad about all the hard work I had done here on earth. 21 A person can work hard using all his wisdom, knowledge and skill. But he will die, and other people will get the things he worked for. They did not do the work, but they will get everything. This is also unfair and useless. 22 What does a person get for all his work and struggling here on earth? 23 All his life his work is full of pain and sorrow. Even at night his mind doesn’t rest. This is also useless.
24 The best a person can do is eat, drink and enjoy his work. I saw that even this comes from God. 25 No one can eat or enjoy life without God. 26 If a person pleases God, God will give him wisdom, knowledge and joy. But the sinner will get only the work of gathering and storing wealth. Then he will have to give it to the one who pleases God. So all his work is useless. It is like chasing the wind.
传道书 2
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
财富享乐都是虚空
2 我自己心里说：“来吧，我用享乐试试你，让你看看有甚么好处。”想不到，这也是虚空。 2 对嬉笑，我说：“那是狂妄”；对享乐，我说：“这有甚么作用呢？” 3 我心里筹思，怎样用酒使我的身体畅快，又保持愚昧，但我的内心仍由智慧引导；直到我看明世人，在诸天之下一生有限的年日中所行的，对他们有益的是甚么。
4 我大事发展：为自己建造房屋，栽种葡萄园， 5 修造园囿和庭园，在园中栽种各类果树， 6 挖造水池，用来浇灌培植树木的林园。 7 我买了仆婢，也有生在家中的奴仆；又拥有大群牛羊，胜过任何比我先在耶路撒冷的人所拥有的。 8 我又为自己积蓄金银，以及列王和各省的财宝。我又为自己招募男女歌手，收纳许多妃嫔，是世人所以为乐的。 9 于是我就日渐昌大，超过任何比我先在耶路撒冷的人；我的智慧仍然与我同在。 10 我眼中所求的，我都不禁止；我心所喜欢的，我都没抑制。我的心因我的一切劳碌而快乐，这就是我从一切劳碌中所得的分。 11 然后，我省察我手所作的一切，和我劳碌所成就的，想不到一切都是虚空，都是捕风，在日光之下毫无益处。
智愚同一命运都是虚空
12 我转过来观察智慧、狂妄和愚昧。王的继承人还能作甚么呢？只不过作先前作过的罢了。 13 于是我看出智慧胜过愚昧，如同光明胜过黑暗一样。 14 智慧人的眼目明亮，愚昧人却走在黑暗中。我也知道同一的命运要临到这两种人身上。 15 我自己心里说：“临到愚昧人身上的，也必临到我身上；那么，我为甚么要更有智慧呢？”于是我心里说：“这也是虚空。” 16 因为智慧人和愚昧人一样，没有人永远记念他们，在未来的日子里，都会被人遗忘。可叹智慧人跟愚昧人一样，终必死亡。 17 因此我恨恶生命，因为在日光之下所发生的事，都使我厌烦。一切都是虚空，都是捕风。
劳碌一生都是虚空
18 我恨恶我的一切劳碌，就是我在日光之下的劳碌，因为我不得不把劳碌的成果留给后人。 19 那人将来是智是愚，有谁晓得呢？可是他竟要掌管一切我劳碌得来的，就是我在日光之下用智慧得来的。这又是虚空。 20 于是我转念，对日光之下我所劳碌的一切，心感绝望； 21 因为人用智慧、知识和技能所劳碌得来的，却必须留给未曾劳碌的人为分。这也是虚空，是极大的憾事。 22 人的一切劳碌和操心，就是他在日光之下所劳碌的，对自己有甚么益处呢？ 23 其实终其一生，他的担子既痛苦又烦恼，在夜间也不能安心。这也是虚空。
人生享乐皆 神所赐
24 人最好是吃喝，在自己的劳碌中自得其乐；我看这也是出于 神的手。 25 离开了他（“离开了他”：《马索拉文本》作“除了我”；现参照《七十士译本》等古译本翻译），谁能有吃的呢？谁能享乐呢？ 26 神把智慧、知识和喜乐赐给他所喜悦的人，却使罪人作收集和积聚的差事，把所得的归给 神所喜悦的人。这也是虚空，也是捕风。
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