| English Standard Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. | 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 mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” | 2I said of laughter, "It is madness," and of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?" |
| 3I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. | 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 made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. | 4I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself; |
| 5I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. | 5I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; |
| 6I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. | 6I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees. |
| 7I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. | 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. |
| 8I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man. | 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 who were before me in Jerusalem. Also 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. |
| 10And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. | 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. |
| 11Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and 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. |
| 12So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. | 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? |
| 13Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. | 13And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness. |
| 14The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. | 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. |
| 15Then I said in my heart, “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. | 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 of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies 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 what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after 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 my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come 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 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. | 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 I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, | 20Therefore I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun. |
| 21because 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. | 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. |
| 22What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? | 22For what does a man get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labors under the sun? |
| 23For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity. | 23Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity. |
| 24There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, 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 or who can have enjoyment? | 25For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him? |
| 26For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after 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. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. 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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