Parallel Bible results for "ecclesiastes 2"

Ecclesiastes 2

The Complete Jewish Bible CJB

1 I said to myself, "Come now, I will test myself with pleasure and enjoying good things"; but this too was pointless.

2 Of laughter I said, "This is stupid," and of pleasure, "What's the use of it?"

3 I searched my mind for how to gratify my body with wine and, with my mind still guiding me with wisdom, how to pursue foolishness; my object was to find out what was the best thing for people to do during the short time they have under heaven to live.

4 I worked on a grand scale - I built myself palaces, planted myself vineyards,

5 and made myself gardens and parks; in them I planted all kinds of fruit trees.

6 I made myself pools from which to water the trees springing up in the forest.

7 I bought male and female slaves, and I had my home-born slaves as well. I also had growing herds of cattle and flocks of sheep, more than anyone before me in Yerushalayim.

8 I amassed silver and gold, the wealth of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, things that provide sensual delight, and a good many concubines.

9 So I grew great, surpassing all who preceded me in Yerushalayim; my wisdom, too, stayed with me.

10 I denied my eyes nothing they wanted. I withheld no pleasure from myself; for I took pleasure in all my work, and this was my reward for all my work.

11 Then I looked at all that my hands had accomplished and at the work I had toiled at; and I saw that it was all meaningless and feeding on wind, and that there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

12 So I decided to look more carefully at wisdom, stupidity and foolishness; for what can the man who succeeds the king do, except what has already been done?

13 I saw that wisdom is more useful than foolishness, just as light is more useful than darkness.

14 The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet the same fate awaits them all.

15 So I said to myself, "If the same thing happens to the fool as to me, then what did I gain by being wise?" and I thought to myself, "This too is pointless.

16 For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered, inasmuch as in the times to come, everything will long ago have been forgotten. The wise man, no less than the fool, must die."

17 So I came to hate life, because the activities done under the sun were loathesome to me, since everything is meaningless and feeding on wind.

18 I hated all the things for which I had worked under the sun, because I saw that I would have to leave them to the man who will come after me.

19 Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the things I worked for and which demonstrated how wise I am under the sun. This too is pointless.

20 Thus I came to despair over all the things I had worked for under the sun.

21 Here is a man whose work is done with wisdom, knowledge and skill; yet he has to leave it to someone who has put no work into it. This is not only pointless, but a great evil.

22 For what does a person get from all his efforts and ambitions permeating the work he does under the sun?

23 His whole life is one of pain, and his work is full of stress; even at night his mind gets no rest. This too is pointless.

24 So there is nothing better for a man to do than eat, drink and and let himself enjoy the good that results from his work. I also realized that this is from God's hand.

25 For who will eat and who will enjoy except me?

26 For to the man who is good from [God's] viewpoint he gives wisdom, knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the task of collecting and accumulating things to leave to him who is good from God's viewpoint. This too is pointless and feeding on wind.

The Bible in Basic English BBE

1 I said in my heart, I will give you joy for a test; so take your pleasure--but it was to no purpose.

2 Of laughing I said, It is foolish; and of joy--What use is it?

3 I made a search with my heart to give pleasure to my flesh with wine, still guiding my heart with wisdom, and to go after foolish things, so that I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under the heavens all the days of their life.

4 I undertook great works, building myself houses and planting vine-gardens.

5 I made myself gardens and fruit gardens, planting in them fruit-trees of all sorts.

6 I made pools to give water for the woods with their young trees.

7 I got men-servants and women-servants, and they gave birth to sons and daughters in my house. I had great wealth of herds and flocks, more than all who were in Jerusalem before me.

8 I got together silver and gold and the wealth of kings and of countries. I got makers of song, male and female; and the delights of the sons of men--girls of all sorts to be my brides.

9 And I became great; increasing more than all who had been before me in Jerusalem, and my wisdom was still with me.

10 And nothing which was desired by my eyes did I keep from them; I did not keep any joy from my heart, because my heart took pleasure in all my work, and this was my reward.

11 Then I saw all the works which my hands had made, and everything I had been working to do; and I saw that all was to no purpose and desire for wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

12 And I went again in search of wisdom and of foolish ways. What may the man do who comes after the king? The thing which he has done before.

13 Then I saw that wisdom is better than foolish ways--as the light is better than the dark.

14 The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the foolish man goes walking in the dark; but still I saw that the same event comes to them all.

15 Then said I in my heart: As it comes to the foolish man, so will it come to me; so why have I been wise overmuch? Then I said in my heart: This again is to no purpose.

16 Of the wise man, as of the foolish man, there is no memory for ever, seeing that those who now are will have gone from memory in the days to come. See how death comes to the wise as to the foolish!

17 So I was hating life, because everything under the sun was evil to me: all is to no purpose and desire for wind.

18 Hate had I for all my work which I had done, because the man who comes after me will have its fruits.

19 And who is to say if that man will be wise or foolish? But he will have power over all my work which I have done and in which I have been wise under the sun. This again is to no purpose.

20 So my mind was turned to grief for all the trouble I had taken and all my wisdom under the sun.

21 Because there is a man whose work has been done with wisdom, with knowledge, and with an expert hand; but one who has done nothing for it will have it for his heritage. This again is to no purpose and a great evil.

22 What does a man get for all his work, and for the weight of care with which he has done his work under the sun?

23 All his days are sorrow, and his work is full of grief. Even in the night his heart has no rest. This again is to no purpose.

24 There is nothing better for a man than taking meat and drink, and having delight in his work. This again I saw was from the hand of God.

25 Who may take food or have pleasure without him?

26 To the man with whom he is pleased, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of getting goods together and storing up wealth, to give to him in whom God has pleasure. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.