| NET Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1I thought to myself, "Come now, I will try self-indulgent pleasure to see if it is worthwhile." But I found that it also is futile. | 1I said to myself, "Go ahead, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good." But it turned out to be futile. |
| 2I said of partying, "It is folly," and of self-indulgent pleasure, "It accomplishes nothing!" | 2I said about laughter, "It is madness," and about pleasure, "What does this accomplish?" |
| 3I thought deeply about the effects of indulging myself with wine (all the while my mind was guiding me with wisdom) and the effects of behaving foolishly, so that I might discover what is profitable for people to do on earth during the few days of their lives. | 3I explored with my mind how to let my body enjoy life with wine and how to grasp folly--my mind still guiding me with wisdom--until I could see what is good for people to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. |
| 4I increased my possessions: I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself. | 4I increased my achievements. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. |
| 5I designed royal gardens and parks for myself, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. | 5I made gardens and parks for myself and planted every kind of fruit tree in them. |
| 6I constructed pools of water for myself, to irrigate my grove of flourishing trees. | 6I constructed reservoirs of water for myself from which to irrigate a grove of flourishing trees. |
| 7I purchased male and female slaves, and I owned slaves who were born in my house; I also possessed more livestock--both herds and flocks--than any of my predecessors in Jerusalem. | 7I acquired male and female servants and had slaves who were born in my house. I also owned many herds of cattle and flocks, more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. |
| 8I also amassed silver and gold for myself, as well as valuable treasures taken from kingdoms and provinces. I acquired male singers and female singers for myself, and what gives a man sensual delight--a harem of beautiful concubines! | 8I also amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered male and female singers for myself, and many concubines, the delights of men. |
| 9So I was far wealthier than all my predecessors in Jerusalem, yet I maintained my objectivity: | 9So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom also remained with me. |
| 10I did not restrain myself from getting whatever I wanted; I did not deny myself anything that would bring me pleasure. So all my accomplishments gave me joy; this was my reward for all my effort. | 10All that my eyes desired, I did not deny them. I did not refuse myself any pleasure, for I took pleasure in all my struggles. This was my reward for all my struggles. |
| 11Yet when I reflected on everything I had accomplished and on all the effort that I had expended to accomplish it, I concluded: "All these achievements and possessions are ultimately profitless--like chasing the wind! There is nothing gained from them on earth." | 11When I considered all that I had accomplished and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun. |
| 12Next, I decided to consider wisdom, as well as foolish behavior and ideas. For what more can the king's successor do than what the king has already done? | 12Then I turned to consider wisdom, madness, and folly, for what will the man be like who comes after the king? He will do what has already been done. |
| 13I realized that wisdom is preferable to folly, just as light is preferable to darkness: | 13And I realized that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly, like the advantage of light over darkness. |
| 14The wise man can see where he is going, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also realized that the same fate happens to them both. | 14The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also knew that one fate comes to them both. |
| 15So I thought to myself, "The fate of the fool will happen even to me! Then what did I gain by becoming so excessively wise?" So I lamented to myself, "The benefits of wisdom are ultimately meaningless!" | 15So I said to myself, "What happens to the fool will also happen to me. Why then have I been overly wise?" And I said to myself that this is also futile. |
| 16For the wise man, like the fool, will not be remembered for very long, because in the days to come, both will already have been forgotten. Alas, the wise man dies--just like the fool! | 16For, just like the fool, there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man, since in the days to come both will be forgotten. How is it that the wise man dies just like the fool? |
| 17So I loathed life because what happens on earth seems awful to me; for all the benefits of wisdom are futile--like chasing the wind. | 17Therefore, I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind. |
| 18So I loathed all the fruit of my effort, for which I worked so hard on earth, because I must leave it behind in the hands of my successor. | 18I hated all my work that I labored at under the sun because I must leave it to the man who comes after me. |
| 19Who knows if he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will be master over all the fruit of my labor for which I worked so wisely on earth! This also is futile! | 19And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will take over all my work that I labored at skillfully under the sun. This too is futile. |
| 20So I began to despair about all the fruit of my labor for which I worked so hard on earth. | 20So I began to give myself over to despair concerning all my work that I had labored at under the sun. |
| 21For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; however, he must hand over the fruit of his labor as an inheritance to someone else who did not work for it. This also is futile, and an awful injustice! | 21When there is a man whose work was done 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 wrong. |
| 22What does a man acquire from all his labor and from the anxiety that accompanies his toil on earth? | 22For what does a man get with all his work and all his efforts that he labors at under the sun? |
| 23For all day long his work produces pain and frustration, and even at night his mind cannot relax! This also is futile! | 23For all his days are filled with grief, and his occupation is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile. |
| 24There is nothing better for people than to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in their work. I also perceived that this ability to find enjoyment comes from God. | 24There is nothing better for man than to eat, drink, and enjoy his work. I have seen that even this is from God's hand, |
| 25For no one can eat and drink or experience joy apart from him. | 25because who can eat and who can enjoy life apart from Him? |
| 26For to the one who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner, he gives the task of amassing wealth--only to give it to the one who pleases God. This task of the wicked is futile--like chasing the wind! | 26For to the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and accumulating in order to give to the one who is pleasing in God's sight. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind. |
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