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Ecclesiastes 2:1-3
New Living Translation

The Futility of Pleasure

2 I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless. 2 So I said, “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?” 3 After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world.

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Ecclesiastes 2:1-3
Lexham English Bible

Qohelet’s Investigation of Self-Indulgence

2 I said to myself,[a] “Come! I will test[b] pleasure to see whether it is worthwhile.”[c] But look, “This also is vanity!” 2 I said of laughter, “It is folly!” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”[d] 3 I also explored[e] the effects of indulging my flesh[f] with wine. My mind guiding me with wisdom, I investigated[g] folly so that I might discover what is good under heaven[h] for humans[i] to do during the days of their lives.[j]

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 2:1 Literally “to my heart”
  2. Ecclesiastes 2:1 The MT reads “I will test you,” but the BHS editors propose “I will test …” Whether or not one adopts MT, Qohelet is speaking to himself
  3. Ecclesiastes 2:1 Literally “and look at goodness”; this idiom refers to the enjoyment of life
  4. Ecclesiastes 2:2 Literally “What does it give?”
  5. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Literally “I searched in my mind”
  6. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Literally “to cheer my flesh”
  7. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Literally “laid hold of”
  8. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Follows MT; two medieval Hebrew manuscripts, LXX, Peshitta read, “under the sun,” cf. 1:3, 9, etc.
  9. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Literally “the sons of the man”
  10. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Literally “the number of the days of their lives”
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New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Lexham English Bible (LEB)

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