New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 I said to myself, "Come now, I will make a test of pleasure; enjoy yourself." But again, this also was vanity.
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I said in my heart, I will give you joy for a test; so take your pleasure--but it was to no purpose.
2 I said of laughter, "It is mad," and of pleasure, "What use is it?"
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Of laughing I said, It is foolish; and of joy--What use is it?
3 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.
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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 made great works; I built houses and planted vineyards for myself;
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I undertook great works, building myself houses and planting vine-gardens.
5 I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees.
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I made myself gardens and fruit gardens, planting in them fruit-trees of all sorts.
6 I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees.
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I made pools to give water for the woods with their young trees.
7 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.
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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 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.
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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 So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me.
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And I became great; increasing more than all who had been before me in Jerusalem, and my wisdom was still with me.
10 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.
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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 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.
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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 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.
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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 excels folly as light excels darkness.
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Then I saw that wisdom is better than foolish ways--as the light is better than the dark.
14 The wise have eyes in their head, but fools walk in darkness. Yet I perceived that the same fate befalls all of them.
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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 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.
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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 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?
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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 hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
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So I was hating life, because everything under the sun was evil to me: all is to no purpose and desire for wind.
18 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
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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 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.
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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 I turned and gave my heart up to despair concerning all the toil of my labors under the sun,
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So my mind was turned to grief for all the trouble I had taken and all my wisdom under the sun.
21 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.
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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 do mortals get from all the toil and strain with which they toil under the sun?
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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 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.
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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 mortals than to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in their toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God;
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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 for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?
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Who may take food or have pleasure without him?
26 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.
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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.
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.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.