| King James Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. | 1I 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. |
| 2I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? | 2So I said, “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?” |
| 3I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. | 3After 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. |
| 4I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: | 4I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. |
| 5I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: | 5I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. |
| 6I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: | 6I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves. |
| 7I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: | 7I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me. |
| 8I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts. | 8I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire! |
| 9So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. | 9So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me. |
| 10And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. | 10Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. |
| 11Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun. | 11But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere. The Wise and the Foolish |
| 12And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done. | 12So I decided to compare wisdom with foolishness and madness (for who can do this better than I, the king? ). |
| 13Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness. | 13I thought, “Wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness. |
| 14The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all. | 14For the wise can see where they are going, but fools walk in the dark.” Yet I saw that the wise and the foolish share the same fate. |
| 15Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity. | 15Both will die. So I said to myself, “Since I will end up the same as the fool, what’s the value of all my wisdom? This is all so meaningless!” |
| 16For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool. | 16For the wise and the foolish both die. The wise will not be remembered any longer than the fool. In the days to come, both will be forgotten. |
| 17Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. | 17So I came to hate life because everything done here under the sun is so troubling. Everything is meaningless—like chasing the wind. The Futility of Work |
| 18Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. | 18I came to hate all my hard work here on earth, for I must leave to others everything I have earned. |
| 19And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity. | 19And who can tell whether my successors will be wise or foolish? Yet they will control everything I have gained by my skill and hard work under the sun. How meaningless! |
| 20Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun. | 20So I gave up in despair, questioning the value of all my hard work in this world. |
| 21For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil. | 21Some people work wisely with knowledge and skill, then must leave the fruit of their efforts to someone who hasn’t worked for it. This, too, is meaningless, a great tragedy. |
| 22For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? | 22So what do people get in this life for all their hard work and anxiety? |
| 23For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity. | 23Their days of labor are filled with pain and grief; even at night their minds cannot rest. It is all meaningless. |
| 24There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. | 24So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God. |
| 25For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I? | 25For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him? |
| 26For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit. | 26God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him. But if a sinner becomes wealthy, God takes the wealth away and gives it to those who please him. This, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind. |
| King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. | 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. |
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