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Ecclesiastes 2
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Ecclesiastes 2
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 2
Study of Pleasure-seeking. 1 I said in my heart,[a] “Come, now, let me try you with pleasure and the enjoyment of good things.” See, this too was vanity. 2 Of laughter I said: “Mad!” and of mirth: “What good does this do?” 3 Guided by wisdom,[b] I probed with my mind how to beguile my senses with wine and take up folly, until I should understand what is good for human beings to do under the heavens during the limited days of their lives.
4 I undertook great works; I built myself houses and planted vineyards; 5 I made gardens and parks, and in them set out fruit trees of all sorts. 6 And I constructed for myself reservoirs to water a flourishing woodland. 7 I acquired male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I also owned vast herds of cattle and flocks of sheep, more than all who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8 I amassed for myself silver and gold, and the treasures of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and delights of men, many women.[c] 9 I accumulated much more than all others before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom, too, stayed with me. 10 Nothing that my eyes desired did I deny them, nor did I deprive myself of any joy; rather, my heart rejoiced in the fruit of all my toil. This was my share for all my toil. 11 (A)But when I turned to all the works that my hands had wrought, and to the fruit of the toil for which I had toiled so much, see! all was vanity and a chase after wind. There is no profit under the sun. 12 What about one who succeeds a king? He can do only what has already been done.[d]
Study of Wisdom and Folly. I went on to the consideration of wisdom, madness and folly. 13 And I saw that wisdom has as much profit over folly as light has over darkness.
14 Wise people have eyes in their heads,
but fools walk in darkness.
Yet I knew that the same lot befalls both.[e](B) 15 So I said in my heart, if the fool’s lot is to befall me also, why should I be wise? Where is the profit? And in my heart I decided that this too is vanity. 16 (C)The wise person will have no more abiding remembrance than the fool; for in days to come both will have been forgotten. How is it that the wise person dies[f] like the fool! 17 Therefore I detested life, since for me the work that is done under the sun is bad; for all is vanity and a chase after wind.
Study of the Fruits of Toil
To Others the Profits. 18 And I detested all the fruits of my toil under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who is to come after me. 19 And who knows whether that one will be wise or a fool? Yet that one will take control of all the fruits of my toil and wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 So my heart turned to despair over all the fruits of my toil under the sun. 21 For here is one who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill, and that one’s legacy must be left to another who has not toiled for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 (D)For what profit comes to mortals from all the toil and anxiety of heart with which they toil under the sun? 23 Every day sorrow and grief are their occupation; even at night their hearts are not at rest. This also is vanity.
24 [g](E)There is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink and provide themselves with good things from their toil. Even this, I saw, is from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat or drink apart from God? 26 [h](F)For to the one who pleases God, he gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the one who displeases, God gives the task of gathering possessions for the one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chase after wind.
Footnotes
- 2:1–11 The author here assumes the role of Solomon who, as king, would have had the wealth and resources at his disposal to acquire wisdom and engage in pleasurable pursuits. Verses 4–8 in particular, with their description of abundant wealth and physical gratifications, parallel the descriptions in 1 Kgs 4–11 of the extravagances of Solomon’s reign.
- 2:3 Guided by wisdom: using all the means money can buy, the author sets out on a deliberate search to discover if pleasure constitutes true happiness.
- 2:8 Many women: the final phrase of this verse is difficult to translate. One word, shiddah, which appears here in both singular and plural, is found nowhere else in the Hebrew Bible. A suggested meaning is “woman” or “concubine,” as it is interpreted here: “many women.” The rest of the section (2:1–12) seems to be a description of Solomon’s kingdom, and the “many women” would represent his huge harem (1 Kgs 11:1–3). In rabbinic Hebrew the word comes to mean “chest” or “coffer.”
- 2:12 What…been done: the verse is difficult and elliptical. The words “He can do only” have been added for clarity. The two halves of the verse have been reversed. The author argues that it is useless to repeat the royal experiment described in vv. 1–11. The results would only be the same.
- 2:14 Yet I knew…befalls both: the author quotes a traditional saying upholding the advantages of wisdom, but then qualifies it. Nothing, not even wisdom itself, can give someone absolute control over their destiny and therefore guarantee any advantage.
- 2:16 The wise person dies: death, until now only alluded to (vv. 14–15), takes center stage and will constantly appear in the author’s reflections through the remainder of the book.
- 2:24–26 The author is not advocating unrestrained indulgence. Rather he counsels acceptance of the good things God chooses to give. This is the first of seven similar conclusions that Qoheleth provides; see 3:12–13, 22; 5:17–18; 8:15; 9:7–9; 11:9.
- 2:26 According to 7:15 and 9:1–3, God does not make an objective, evidential, moral distinction between saint and sinner. God “gives” as God pleases.
Еклисиаст 2
Библия, ревизирано издание
Еклисиаст 2
Библия, ревизирано издание
2 (A)Аз казах на сърцето си:
Ела сега, да те опитам с веселба,
затова се наслаждавай с блага;
и, ето, и това беше суета.
2 (B)Казах за смеха: Лудост е,
и за веселбата: Каква полза от нея?
3 (C)Намислих в сърцето си да веселя плътта си с вино,
докато сърцето ми още се управляваше от мъдростта,
и да усвоя безумието, докато видя какво е добре да вършат човешките синове
под небето през всички дни на живота си.
4 Направих си големи работи;
съградих си къщи; насадих си лозя;
5 направих си цветни и овощни градини
и насадих в тях всякакви плодни дървета;
6 направих си водоеми, за да поя от тях
насадената с дървета гора;
7 придобих слуги и слугини
и имах слуги, родени в дома ми;
имах още добитък и стада
повече от всички, които са били преди мене в Йерусалим.
8 (D)Събрах си и сребро, и злато,
и особените скъпоценности на царете и на областите;
набавих си певци и певици
и насладите на човешките синове –
наложници изключително много.
9 (E)Така станах велик и се възвеличих
повече от всички, които са били преди мене в Йерусалим;
още и мъдростта ми си остана у мен.
10 (F)И от всичко, които пожелаха очите ми,
нищо не им забраних;
не спрях сърцето си от никаква веселба,
защото сърцето ми се радваше във всичките ми трудове
и това беше делът ми от целия ми труд.
11 (G)Тогава разгледах всички дела,
които бяха извършили ръцете ми,
и труда, в който се бях трудил;
и, ето, всичко беше суета и гонене на вятъра
и нямаше полза под слънцето.
12 (H)И се обърнах да разгледам
мъдростта и лудостта, и безумието,
защото какво може да стори човек, който е дошъл след царя,
относно това, което е вече направено?
13 Тогава видях, че мъдростта превъзхожда безумието,
както светлината превъзхожда тъмнината.
14 (I)На мъдрия очите са в главата му,
а безумният ходи в тъмнина;
аз обаче познах още, че една участ
постига всички тях.
15 Тогава си казах:
Каквото постига безумния,
това ще постигне и мен;
и така, защо аз бях по-мъдър?
Затова казах в сърцето си,
че и това е суета.
16 Защото както на безумния, така и на мъдрия
не остава вечно паметта му,
понеже в бъдещите дни всичко ще е вече забравено.
И как умира мъдрият? – Както и безумният.
17 Затова намразих живота,
защото тежки ми се видяха делата, които стават под слънцето;
понеже всичко е суета и гонене на вятъра.
18 (J)Намразих още и целия си труд,
с който съм се трудил под слънцето,
защото трябва да го оставя на човека, който ще бъде след мен;
19 и кой знае мъдър ли ще бъде той или безумен?
Но пак той ще властва над целия ми труд, с който съм се трудил
и в който показах мъдрост под слънцето.
И това е суета.
20 Затова аз отново направих сърцето си да се отчае
поради целия труд, с който съм се трудил под слънцето.
21 Защото има човек, който се е трудил
с мъдрост, със знание и със сполука;
но той пак ще остави всичко за дял на някого,
който не е участвал в труда му.
И това е суета и голямо зло.
22 (K)Защото каква полза за човека от целия му труд
и от грижата на сърцето му,
за което се изморява под слънцето?
23 (L)Понеже всичките му дни са само печал
и трудът му – скръб;
и още и нощем сърцето му не си почива.
И това е суета.
24 (M)Няма по-добро за човека освен да яде и да пие.
И да прави душата си да се наслаждава от доброто на труда му.
И аз видях, че и това е от Божията ръка.
25 Защото кой може да яде
и кой може да се наслаждава повече от мене?
26 (N)Понеже Бог дава на угодния на Него човек
мъдрост, знание и радост;
а на грешния дава да се труди, да събира и да трупа –
за да даде всичко на угодния на Бога.
И това е суета и гонене на вятъра.
Ecclesiastes 2
New International Version
Ecclesiastes 2
New International Version
Pleasures Are Meaningless
2 I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure(A) to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. 2 “Laughter,”(B) I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” 3 I tried cheering myself with wine,(C) and embracing folly(D)—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(E) and planted vineyards.(F) 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(G) 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(H) for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces.(I) I acquired male and female singers,(J) and a harem[a] as well—the delights of a man’s heart. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem(K) before me.(L) 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;(M)
nothing was gained under the sun.(N)
Wisdom and Folly Are Meaningless
12 Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom,
and also madness and folly.(O)
What more can the king’s successor do
than what has already been done?(P)
13 I saw that wisdom(Q) is better than folly,(R)
just as light is better than darkness.
14 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.(S)
15 Then I said to myself,
“The fate of the fool will overtake me also.
What then do I gain by being wise?”(T)
I said to myself,
“This too is meaningless.”
16 For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered;(U)
the days have already come when both have been forgotten.(V)
Like the fool, the wise too must die!(W)
Toil Is Meaningless
17 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.(X) 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.(Y) 19 And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish?(Z) 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 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 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 for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun?(AA) 23 All their days their work is grief and pain;(AB) even at night their minds do not rest.(AC) This too is meaningless.
24 A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink(AD) and find satisfaction in their own toil.(AE) This too, I see, is from the hand of God,(AF) 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?(AG) 26 To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom,(AH) knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth(AI) to hand it over to the one who pleases God.(AJ) This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 2:8 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Библия, ревизирано издание (BPB) 
Copyright by © Българско библейско дружество 2015. Използвани с разрешение.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.