Septuagint Bible w/ Apocrypha LXX
New Revised Standard w/ Apocrypha NRSA
1 I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth, and behold thou good: and, behold, this is also vanity.
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I said to myself, "Come now, I will make a test of pleasure; enjoy yourself." But again, this also was vanity.
2 I said to laughter, Madness: and to mirth, Why doest thou this:
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I said of laughter, "It is mad," and of pleasure, "What use is it?"
3 And I examined whether my heart would excite my flesh as wine, (though my heart guided in wisdom,) and to lay hold of mirth, until I should see of what kind is the good to the sons of men, which they should do under the sun all the days of their life.
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I searched with my mind how to cheer my body with wine—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, until I might see what was good for mortals to do under heaven during the few days of their life.
4 I enlarged my work; I built me houses; I planted me vineyards.
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I made great works; I built houses and planted vineyards for myself;
5 I made me gardens and orchards, and planted in them every kind of fruit-tree.
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I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees.
6 I made me pools of water, to water from them the timber-bearing wood.
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I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees.
7 I got servants and maidens, and servants were born to me in the house: also I had abundant possession of flocks and herds, beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem.
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I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house; I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem.
8 Moreover I collected for myself both silver and gold also, and the peculiar treasures of kings and provinces: I procured me singing men and singing women, and delights of the sons of men, a butler and female cupbearers.
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I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and of the provinces; I got singers, both men and women, and delights of the flesh, and many concubines.
9 So I became great, and advanced beyond all that were before in Jerusalem: also my wisdom was established to me.
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So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me.
10 And whatever mine eyes desired, I withheld not from them, I withheld not my heart from all my mirth: for my heart rejoiced in all my labour; and this was my portion of all my labour.
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Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them; I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil.
11 And I looked on all my works which my hands had wrought, and on my labour which I laboured to perform: and behold, all was vanity and waywardness of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun.
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Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had spent in doing it, and again, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
12 Then I looked on to see wisdom, and madness, and folly: for who is the man who will follow after counsel, in all things where in he employs it?
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So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what can the one do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done.
13 And I saw that wisdom excels folly, as much as light excels darkness.
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Then I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.
14 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness: and I perceived, even I, that one event shall happen to them all.
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The wise have eyes in their head, but fools walk in darkness. Yet I perceived that the same fate befalls all of them.
15 And I said in my heart, As the event of the fool is, so shall it be to me, even to me: and to what purpose have I gained wisdom? I said moreover in my heart, This is also vanity, because the fool speaks of his abundance.
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Then I said to myself, "What happens to the fool will happen to me also; why then have I been so very wise?" And I said to myself that this also is vanity.
16 For there is no remembrance of the wise man with the fool for ever; forasmuch as now the coming days all things are forgotten: and how shall the wise man die with the fool?
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For there is no enduring remembrance of the wise or of fools, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How can the wise die just like fools?
17 So I hated life; because the work that was wrought under the sun was evil before me: for all is vanity and waywardness of spirit.
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So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
18 And I hated the whole of my labour which I took under the sun; because I must leave it to the man who will come after me.
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I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to those who come after me
19 And who knows whether he will be a wise or a fool? and whether he will have power over all my labour in which I laboured, and wherein I grew wise under the sun? this is also vanity.
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—and who knows whether they will be wise or foolish? Yet they will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity.
20 so I went about to dismiss from my heart all my labour wherein I had laboured under the sun.
20
So I turned and gave my heart up to despair concerning all the toil of my labors under the sun,
21 For there is a man that his labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in fortitude; this man shall give his portion to one who has not laboured therein. This is also vanity and great evil.
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because sometimes one who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave all to be enjoyed by another who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 For it happens to a man in all his labour, and in the purpose of his heart wherein he labours under the sun.
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What do mortals get from all the toil and strain with which they toil under the sun?
23 For all his days of sorrows, and vexation of spirit is his; in the night also his heart rests not. This is also vanity.
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For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This also is vanity.
24 A man has nothing good to eat, and to drink, and to shew his soul good in his trouble. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.
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There is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in their toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God;
25 For who shall eat, or who shall drink, without him?
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for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?
26 For has given to the man who is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but he has given to the sinner trouble, to add and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God; for this is also vanity and waywardness of spirit.
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For to the one who pleases him God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of gathering and heaping, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.