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Ecclesiastes 2:4-11
New International Version
Ecclesiastes 2:4-11
New International Version
4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself(A) and planted vineyards.(B) 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(C) 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(D) for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces.(E) I acquired male and female singers,(F) and a harem[a] as well—the delights of a man’s heart. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem(G) before me.(H) 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;(I)
nothing was gained under the sun.(J)
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 2:8 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
Ecclesiastes 2:4-11
New King James Version
Ecclesiastes 2:4-11
New King James Version
4 I made my works great, I built myself (A)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 [a]water the growing trees of the grove. 7 I acquired male and female servants, and had [b]servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. 8 (B)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 [c]musical instruments of all kinds.
9 (C)So I became great and [d]excelled (D)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 (E)this was my [e]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 (F)vanity and grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under the sun.
Footnotes
- 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
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.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.