| New King James Version | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, this also was vanity. | 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 laughter—“Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?” | 2I said about laughter, "It is madness," and about pleasure, "What does this accomplish?" |
| 3I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives. | 3I explored with my mind the pull of wine on my body--my mind still guiding me with wisdom--and how to grasp folly, until I could see what is good for people to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. |
| 4I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. | 4I increased my achievements. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. |
| 5I made myself gardens and orchards, 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 made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove. | 6I constructed reservoirs for myself from which to irrigate a grove of flourishing trees. |
| 7I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. | 7I acquired male and female servants and had slaves who were born in my house. I also owned livestock--large herds and flocks--more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. |
| 8I 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 musical instruments of all kinds. | 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 became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. | 9So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom also remained with me. |
| 10Whatever 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 this was my reward from all my labor. | 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. |
| 11Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun. | 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. |
| 12Then I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly; For what can the man do who succeeds the king?— Only what he has already done. | 12Then I turned to consider wisdom, madness, and folly, for what will the king's successor be like? He will do what has already been done. |
| 13Then I saw that wisdom excels folly As light excels darkness. | 13And I realized that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly, like the advantage of light over darkness. |
| 14The wise man’s eyes are in his head, But the fool walks in darkness. Yet I myself perceived That the same event happens to them all. | 14The wise person has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also knew that one fate comes to them both. |
| 15So I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, It also happens to me, And why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart, “This also is vanity.” | 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 there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come. And how does a wise man die? As the fool! | 16For, just like the fool, there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, since in the days to come both will be forgotten. How is it that the wise person dies just like the fool? |
| 17Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for 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. |
| 18Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. | 18I hated all my work that I labored at under the sun because I must leave it to the one who comes after me. |
| 19And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. | 19And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will take over all my work that I labored at skillfully under the sun. This too is futile. |
| 20Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun. | 20So I began to give myself over to despair concerning all my work that I had labored at under the sun. |
| 21For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. | 21When there is a person whose work was done with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a person who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great wrong. |
| 22For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? | 22For what does a person get with all his work and all his efforts that he labors at under the sun? |
| 23For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity. | 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. |
| 24Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God. | 24There is nothing better for a person than to eat, drink, and enjoy his work. I have seen that even this is from God's hand, |
| 25For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? | 25because who can eat and who can enjoy life apart from him? |
| 26For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind. | 26For to the person 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. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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