Parallel Bible results for "ecclesiastes 2"

Ecclesiastes 2

Wycliffe WYC

1 Therefore I said in mine heart, I shall go, and I shall flow in delights, and I shall use goods; and I saw also that this was vanity. (And so I said in my heart, I shall go, and I shall enjoy all delights, and I shall enjoy all good things; and I saw that this was also empty and futile.)

2 And laughing I areckoned error, and I said to joy, What art thou, deceived in vain? (And I reckoned laughter as but error, and I said to joy, Of what value art thou?)

3 I thought in mine heart to withdraw my flesh from wine, that I should lead over my soul to wisdom, and that I would eschew folly, till I should see, what were profitable to the sons of men; in which deed the number of days of their life under the sun is needful. (I thought in my heart to withdraw my flesh from wine, so that I could lead over my soul unto wisdom, and so that I would eschew foolishness, until I could see, what was profitable to the sons and daughters of men; yea, which deeds, or works, be useful, or meaningful, all the days of their lives under the sun.)

4 I magnified, either made great, my works, I builded houses to me (I built houses for myself), and I planted vines;

5 I made yards and orchards, and I set those with trees of all kind(s);

6 and I made cisterns of waters, for to water the wood of [the] trees growing. (and I made water cisterns, to water the trees growing in the woods, or in the groves.)

7 I had in possession servants and handmaids; and I had much household, and droves of great beasts, and great flocks of sheep, over all men that were before me in Jerusalem. (I had in possession servants and servantesses/male and female slaves; and I had many slaves born in my house, and herds of great beasts, and great flocks of sheep, yea, more than all those who came before me in Jerusalem.)

8 I gathered together to me silver and gold, and the castles of kings and of provinces; I made to me singers and singeresses, and [the] delights of the sons of men, and cups and vessels in service, to pour out wines; (I gathered together for myself silver and gold, from the castles of kings and out of provinces; I got singers and singeresses for myself, and enjoyed all the delights of the sons and daughters of men, yea, with cups and vessels for service, to pour the wine into;)

9 and I passed in riches all men that were before me in Jerusalem. Also wisdom dwelled stably with me, (and I surpassed in wealth all those who came before me in Jerusalem. And wisdom dwelled steadfastly with me,)

10 and all things which mine eyes desired, I denied not to them; neither I refrained mine heart, that not it used all lust, and delighted itself in these things which I had made ready; and I deemed this my part, if I used my travail. (and anything which my eyes desired, I did not deny them; nor did I refrain my heart from anything it desired, and it delighted itself in those things which I had prepared for it; and I judged this my portion, for all my labour.)

11 And when I had turned me to all the works which mine hands had made, and to the travails in which I had sweated (over) in vain, I saw in all things vanity and torment of soul, and that nothing under [the] sun dwelleth . (And when I turned and looked upon all the works which my hands had made, and upon the labour which I had sweated over, I saw that everything was empty and futile, like chasing the wind, and that nothing remained stable, or unchanging, under the sun.)

12 I passed forth to behold wisdom, and errors, and folly; I said, What is a man, that he may follow the king, his maker? (I said, What new thing can even he who followeth the king do?)

13 And I saw, that wisdom went so much before folly, as much as light is diverse from darknesses.

14 The eyes of a wise man be in his head, (and) a fool goeth in darknesses; and I learned, that one perishing was of ever either. (The eyes of a wise person be in his head, and a fool goeth in the darkness; but I learned, that the same perishing, or the same death, would come to both of them.)

15 And I said in mine heart, If one death shall be both of the fool and of me, what profiteth it to me, that I gave more busyness to wisdom? And I spake with my soul, and perceived, that this also was vanity. (And I said in my heart, If one death shall be for both the fool and for me, what profiteth it to me, that I gave more busyness, or more effort and study, to wisdom? And I spoke with myself, and understood, that this was also empty and futile.)

16 For the mind of a wise man shall not be, (and) in like manner as neither (that) of a fool, without end, and [the] times to coming shall cover all things (al)together with forgetting; a learned man dieth in like manner as an unlearned man. (For a wise person shall not be remembered, and in like manner neither shall a fool, yea, for ever, and the times to come shall altogether cover all things with forgetting; for a learned person dieth in the same manner as an unlearned person.)

17 And therefore it annoyed me of my life, seeing that all things under [the] sun be evil, and that all things be vanity and torment of the spirit. (And so it vexed me to live, seeing that all things under the sun be troublesome, and that everything is empty and futile, like chasing the wind.)

18 Again I cursed all my busyness, by which I travailed most studiously under [the] sun; and I shall have an heir after me,

19 whom I know not, whether he shall be wise either a fool; and he shall be lord in my travails, for which I sweated greatly, and was busy; and is there anything so vain? (whom I know not, whether he shall be wise or a fool; but he shall be the lord of all my works, for which I was so busy, and greatly sweated over; is there anything so empty and futile as this?)

20 Wherefore I ceased, and mine heart forsook for to travail further under [the] sun. (And so I ceased to study, and my heart did not desire to labour any more under the sun.)

21 For why when another man travaileth in wisdom, and teaching, and busyness, he leaveth things gotten to an idle man; and therefore this is vanity, and great evil. (For though a person laboureth over something with wisdom, and knowledge, and diligence, he must leave all that he hath gotten to someone else, who did not labour over it; and so this is empty and futile, and a great evil.)

22 For why what shall it profit to a man of all his travail, and torment of spirit, with which he was tormented under [the] sun? (For what shall it profit a person for all his labour, and trials and tribulations, with which he was tormented under the sun?)

23 All his days be full of sorrows and mischiefs, and by night he resteth not in soul; and whether this is not vanity? (All his days be full of sorrows and mischiefs, and at night his soul resteth not; and is not this all empty and futile?)

24 Whether it is not better to eat and drink, and to show to his soul [the] goods of his travails? and this thing is of the hand of God. (Is it not better for a person to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good things from all his labour? and this is also from the hand of God.)

25 Who shall devour so, and shall flow in (such) delights, as I have? (Who shall ever devour such food, and shall flow in, or shall enjoy, such delights, as I have?)

26 God gave wisdom, and knowing, and gladness to a good man in his sight; but he gave torment, and superfluous busyness to a sinner, that he increase, and gather together, and give to him that pleaseth God; but also this is vanity, and vain busyness of soul. (God gave wisdom, and knowledge, and happiness to those who be good before him; but he gave torment, and superfluous busyness to the sinner, so that first he increase, and gather together, but then he must give it all to him who pleaseth God; but this is also empty and futile, like chasing the wind.)

King James Version KJV

1 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.

2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?

3 I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:

5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:

6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:

7 I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:

8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.

11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

12 And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.

13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

14 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.

15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.

16 For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.

17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

18 Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.

21 For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

22 For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?

23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

24 There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

25 For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?

26 For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.