Verse
WEB
World English Bible
BSB
Berean Standard Bible
I said in
my
heart
, "
Come now, I will test you with mirth:
therefore
enjoy
pleasure; "
and,
behold,
this
also
was
vanity
.
I said to
myself
, “
Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy
what
is
good!”
But
it
proved
to
be
futile
.
I said of laughter, "
It is foolishness;"
and of mirth
, "
What does it accomplish? "
I said of laughter, “
It is folly,”
and of pleasure
, “
What does it accomplish? ”
I searched
in
my
heart
how
to cheer my flesh
with wine ,
my heart
yet
guiding me with wisdom ,
and
how
to
lay
hold
of
folly,
until I might
see what it
was good
for the
sons
of
men that
they
should
do under heaven all
the days of their lives.
I 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.
I made
myself
great
works
. I built myself
houses .
I
planted myself
vineyards.
I expanded
my
pursuits
. I built houses and
planted vineyards for
myself
.
I made myself
gardens and parks, and
I planted trees
in
them
of
all kinds of fruit.
I made gardens and parks for
myself
, where
I planted all kinds of fruit trees
.
I made
myself
pools
of
water,
to water from
it
the
forest
where
trees were
reared
.
I built
reservoirs
to water my
groves
of
flourishing
trees.
I bought
men-servants
and maid-servants
, and had
servants born in my house. I also had
great
possessions
of
herds and flocks ,
above
all
who
were
before
me
in Jerusalem ;
I acquired
menservants
and maidservants
, and servants were
born in my house. I also owned
more
herds and flocks than
anyone
in Jerusalem before
me,
I also
gathered
silver and gold for
myself,
and the treasure of kings and of
the
provinces. I got
myself men-singers
and women-
singers, and the delights of the sons of men --musical
instruments,
and
that
of
all
sorts
.
and
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
.
So I was
great ,
and increased
more
than
all who
were
before
me
in Jerusalem .
My wisdom also
remained with me.
So I became
great and surpassed
all in Jerusalem who
had
preceded
me;
and
my wisdom remained with me.
Whatever
my eyes desired, I didn't
keep
from
them
. I didn't
withhold
my heart from
any
joy,
for my heart rejoiced
because
of
all my labor
, and this was my
portion
from
all my labor.
Anything
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.
Then
I looked
at
all the works that my hands had worked,
and at
the
labor
that
I had labored
to do;
and
, behold
, all
was
vanity
and
a chasing
after
wind ,
and
there was no
profit
under the sun.
Yet
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.
I turned myself
to consider wisdom ,
madness ,
and folly :
for what can the king's
successor do ?
Just
that
which
has been done
long
ago.
Then
I turned to consider wisdom and
madness and folly ;
for what more
can the king’s
successor do than
what
has already
been accomplished?
Then
I saw that wisdom excels
folly, as
far
as light excels
darkness .
And
I saw that wisdom exceeds
folly, just
as light exceeds
darkness :
The wise man's
eyes are
in his head, and
the fool walks in darkness --and
yet I perceived
that one event
happens
to
them all
.
The 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
.
Then
said
I in
my
heart,
"As
it
happens
to the fool ,
so
will it
happen
even
to
me ;
and
why
was
I
then more
wise? "
Then
said
I in
my
heart
that this also
is vanity
.
So
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
.
For of the wise man
, even
as of
the fool, there
is
no
memory
for
ever,
seeing that in the days to come all
will
have
been
long
forgotten
. Indeed
, the wise man must
die just like the fool!
For 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!
So I hated life, because the work that is worked
under the sun was grievous to me ;
for all
is vanity
and a chasing
after
wind.
So 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.
I hated all my
labor
in
which I labored
under the sun, seeing
that
I must leave it to the man who comes after me.
I hated all for
which I had
toiled
under the sun, because
I must leave it to the man who comes after me.
Who knows whether he
will be a
wise man
or a
fool
? Yet he will have
rule
over all of
my
labor in
which
I
have
labored,
and
in
which I have shown
myself
wise
under the sun. This also
is vanity
.
And
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
.
Therefore
I
began
to
cause
my heart to despair concerning
all the labor in
which
I had labored
under the sun.
So
my heart began
to despair over
all the labor that
I had done
under the sun.
For
there is a man whose
labor
is
with wisdom, with
knowledge, and with
skillfulness;
yet
he shall
leave
it
for
his portion to a man who has not labored
for it .
This also
is vanity
and a great evil.
When
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.
For what has
a man of
all his
labor,
and
of
the striving of
his
heart,
in
which he labors under the sun?
For what does
a man get
for
all the toil
and
striving with
which he labors under the sun?
For
all his days are sorrows
, and his travail
is grief
; yes,
even in
the
night his heart
takes
no
rest. This also
is vanity
.
Indeed,
all his days are filled
with
grief
, and his task
is sorrowful
; even at
night ,
his mind
does
not
rest. This too
is futile
.
There
is
nothing better for a man than that
he
should
eat and drink ,
and make
his
soul
enjoy good
in
his labor
. This
also
I saw,
that it
is from the hand of God.
Nothing 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.
For who can eat ,
or
who can have
enjoyment ,
more
than
I
?
For apart
from
Him,
who can eat and
who can find
enjoyment?
For
to the man who pleases
him
, God
gives wisdom ,
knowledge ,
and joy ;
but to the sinner he gives
travail,
to
gather
and to
heap
up,
that he may
give
to him
who pleases God. This also
is vanity
and a chasing
after
wind.
To 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.
Scripture text: World English Bible and Berean Standard Bible. Public domain; “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org.; Public domain; source text distributed by BSB Publishing, LLC..