| Berean Study Bible | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good!” But it proved to be futile. | 1I said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself." And behold, it too was futility. |
| 2I said of laughter, “It is folly,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?” | 2I said of laughter, "It is madness," and of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?" |
| 3I sought to cheer my body with wine and to embrace folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—until I could see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. | 3I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives. |
| 4I expanded my pursuits. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. | 4I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself; |
| 5I made gardens and parks for myself, where I planted all kinds of fruit trees. | 5I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; |
| 6I built reservoirs to water my groves of flourishing trees. | 6I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees. |
| 7I acquired menservants and maidservants, and servants were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me, | 7I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. |
| 8and I accumulated for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered to myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men—many concubines. | 8Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men-- many concubines. |
| 9So I became great and surpassed all in Jerusalem who had preceded me; and my wisdom remained with me. | 9Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. |
| 10Anything my eyes desired, I did not deny myself. I refused my heart no pleasure. For my heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. | 10All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor. |
| 11Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun. | 11Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun. |
| 12Then I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what more can the king’s successor do than what has already been accomplished? | 12So I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly; for what will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done? |
| 13And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness: | 13And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness. |
| 14The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also came to realize that one fate overcomes them both. | 14The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one fate befalls them both. |
| 15So I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will also befall me. What then have I gained by being wise?” And I said to myself that this too is futile. | 15Then I said to myself, "As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me. Why then have I been extremely wise?" So I said to myself, "This too is vanity." |
| 16For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, just as with the fool, seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come. Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool! | 16For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man and the fool alike die! |
| 17So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind. | 17So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind. |
| 18I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me. | 18Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me. |
| 19And who knows whether that man will be wise or foolish? Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked skillfully under the sun. This too is futile. | 19And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity. |
| 20So my heart began to despair over all the labor that I had done under the sun. | 20Therefore I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun. |
| 21When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great evil. | 21When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives his legacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil. |
| 22For what does a man get for all the toil and striving with which he labors under the sun? | 22For what does a man get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labors under the sun? |
| 23Indeed, all his days are filled with grief, and his task is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile. | 23Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity. |
| 24Nothing is better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy his work. I have also seen that this is from the hand of God. | 24There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God. |
| 25For apart from Him, who can eat and who can find enjoyment? | 25For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him? |
| 26To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind. | 26For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God's sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind. |
| The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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