Ecclesiastes 2

1 I said to myself [in my heart, to my inner self], “Come now [please, I pray], I will test you [examine, prove] with pleasure [mirth, joy]; enjoy [take delight in, experience] what is good [pleasant, beneficial]!” But it proved [turned out, resulted] to be futile [vanity, empty, unsatisfying]. word study 2 I said [to myself, concluded] of laughter [mockery, scorn], “It is [to be] folly [foolishness, madness],” and of pleasure [joy, gladness] [a happy occasion], “What [how, in what way] does it accomplish [bring about, make] [what benefit, what use]?” word study 3 I sought [to explore, to spy out] to cheer my body [flesh, physical being] with wine [intoxicating drink, fermented beverage] and to embrace [to lay hold of, to take hold] folly [foolishness, silly behavior]—my mind [heart, intellect, will] still guiding me with wisdom [prudence, good judgment]—until I could see [perceive, understand] what was worthwhile [good, beneficial, pleasant] for men [the sons of men, humanity] to do under [beneath, below] heaven [the sky, the spiritual realm] during the few days [limited time, short lifespan] of their lives [existence, mortal life]. word study 4 I expanded [made great, undertook great works] my pursuits [deeds, actions]. I built [constructed, established] houses [dwelling places, homes] and planted [established, fixed] vineyards [gardens, plots of land for growing vines] for myself [my own benefit, for my own pleasure]. word study 5 I made [for my own pleasure, created] gardens [and orchards, paradise-like] and parks [enclosed gardens, forests] for myself, where I planted [established, fixed] all kinds [every sort, variety] of fruit [the produce, harvest] trees [strong and firm]. word study 6 I built [constructed for myself, made] reservoirs [pools of water, cisternes] to water [to give drink, irrigate] my groves [woods, forest] of flourishing [growing, shooting forth] trees [young trees, wood]. word study 7 I acquired [purchased, obtained as property] menservants [male slaves, servants] and maidservants [female slaves, servants], and servants [born into slavery, household slaves] were born in my house [palace, dwelling place]. I also owned [possessed, had control of] more herds [large groups of livestock] and flocks [groups of sheep or goats] than anyone [all my predecessors, any who came before me] in Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital city] before me [previously, in times past], word study 8 and I accumulated [gathered, collected] for myself silver [wealth, riches] and gold [precious treasure] and the treasure [valuable possessions, wealth] of kings [royal rulers] and provinces [regions, districts]. I gathered [brought together, acquired] to myself male and female singers [musicians, vocalists], and the delights [luxuries, pleasures] of the sons of men [humanity, mankind]—many [numerous, several] concubines [wives, female companions]. word study 9 So I became [exceedingly] great and surpassed [increased more than] all [everything] in Jerusalem [the city of peace] who had preceded [lived before] me; and my wisdom [prudence, good judgment] remained [stood firmly] with me [in my presence, also]. word study 10 Anything [all that I desired, everything] my eyes [the sources of my desires] desired, I did not [refused to, withheld not] deny myself. I refused [withheld, kept back] my heart [my feelings, will, and intellect] no [not any] pleasure [joy, gladness]. For my heart [my inner being, emotions] took delight [was glad, rejoiced] in all [every aspect of] my work [labor, trouble], and this [what I had accomplished] was the reward [my portion, inheritance] for all [every part of] my labor [hard work, toil]. word study 11 Yet when I considered [reflected on, thought about] all the works [deeds, accomplishments] that my hands [my own strength, ability] had accomplished [done, made] and what I had toiled [labored, worked hard] to achieve [attain, gain], I found [discovered, saw] everything to be [to consist of, to amount to] futile [vanity, emptiness], a pursuit [chasing, striving after] of the wind [something transitory, elusive]; there was [existed, could be found] nothing [no gain, no profit] to be gained [obtained, acquired] under [beneath, in the realm of] the sun [the world, earthly life]. word study 12 Then I turned [to face] to consider wisdom [skill, prudence, or good judgment] and madness [foolishness, lack of wisdom] and folly [silly behavior, foolishness]; for what more can the king’s [royal, sovereign] successor [one who comes after] do than what has already [previously, in the past] been accomplished [done, made]? word study 13 And I saw [recognized, perceived] that wisdom [skill, prudence, or good judgment] exceeds [is better than, excels] folly [foolish or silly behavior], just as [like, in the same way] light [natural or spiritual illumination, happiness] exceeds [is more excellent than] darkness [physical or spiritual, misery, destruction]: word study 14 The wise [skilled, prudent] man has eyes [sources of understanding] in his head [as his guide], but the fool [one who is stupid, silly] walks in darkness [spiritual ignorance, misery]. Yet I also came to realize [perceived, learned] that one [single, unified] fate [event, outcome] overcomes [happens to, affects] them both [all, everything]. word study 15 So I said to myself [in my heart, to my own mind], “The fate [outcome, destiny] of the fool [one who is stupid, silly, and rejects God] will also [too, even] befall me [happen to me, come upon me]. What then have I gained [benefited, profited] by being wise [having good judgment, acting intelligently]?” And I said to myself that this too [also, even this] is futile [vanity, emptiness, a breath of air]. word study 16 For there is no lasting [enduring, perpetual] remembrance [memorial, commemoration] of the wise [intelligent, discerning], just as with [together, in company] the fool [stupid, silly], seeing that both will be forgotten [oblivious, lost to memory] in the days [time, era] to come. Alas [behold, lo], the wise [prudent, insightful] man will die [pass away, perish] just like [in the same manner, similarly] the fool! word study 17 So I hated [felt intense dislike for] life, because the work [deed, action] that is done [made, wrought] under [beneath, below] the sun [the sun; the east or the west] was grievous [bad, evil, distressing] to me. For everything [all, the whole] is futile [vanity, emptiness] and a pursuit [striving, longing] of the wind [a blast of air]. word study 18 I hated [felt intense dislike for] all for which I had toiled [labored with trouble, worked hard] under the sun [in this earthly life], because I must leave it [give it up, abandon it] to the man [Adam, humanity] who comes after me [succeeds me, follows me]. word study 19 And who knows [or is aware of] whether that man will be [considered] wise [intelligent, discerning] or foolish [lacking sense, a fool]? Yet he will take over [have control, dominate] all the labor [toil, trouble] at which I have worked [labored, toiled] skillfully [with wisdom, prudently] under the sun [in this earthly life]. This too [also, as well] is [proves to be] futile [vanity, empty, a breath of air]. word study 20 So my heart [the feelings, the will, the mind] began to despair [to lose hope, feel desperate] over all [every aspect of] the labor [trouble, hard work, toil] that I had done [experienced, undertaken] under [beneath, in the shadow of] the sun [the sun; the east or the west]. word study 21 When there is a man [a human being, created by God] who has labored [toiled, worked diligently] with wisdom [prudence, good judgment], knowledge [understanding, insight], and skill [expertise, proficiency], and he must give his portion [inheritance, share] to a man who has not worked [toiled, labored] for it, this too is futile [vanity, emptiness] and a great evil [moral harm, adversity]. word study 22 For what [what benefit, what profit] does a man get for all the toil [trouble, hard work] and striving [strong longing, vexation] with which he labors [works, is sorrowful] under [beneath, in the presence of] the sun [the sun; the east or the west]? word study 23 Indeed, all [every single one] his days are filled with grief [sorrows, pain], and his task [travail, labor] is sorrowful [grief, vexation]; even at night [in the darkness], his mind [heart, intellect] does not rest [lie down, find peace]. This too [also, even] is futile [vanity, emptiness, a breath of air]. word study 24 Nothing [no thing, absence of something] is better for a man [the human, Adam] than to eat [consume, devour] and drink [imbibe, feast] and enjoy [delight, take pleasure] his work [labor, toil]. I have also seen [perceived, understood] that this [the experience, the reality] is from the hand [power, direction] of God [Elohim, the supreme God]. word study 25 For apart from Him [outside of God’s presence, without His blessing], who [what person, no one] can eat [consume, devour] and who [what person, no one] can find enjoyment [take pleasure, have delight, experience joy]? word study 26 To the man [who is good, pleasing in His sight] who is pleasing in His sight, He gives [grants, imparts] wisdom [insight, discernment] and knowledge [understanding, awareness] and joy [happiness, gladness], but to the sinner [one who misses the mark, rebels against God] He assigns [gives, appoints] the task [labor, toil] of gathering [collecting, accumulating] and accumulating [heaping up, storing] that which he will hand over [give, transfer] to one who pleases [is good in the sight of] God [Elohim, the supreme Judge]. This too [also, likewise] is futile [vanity, emptiness] and a pursuit [striving, chasing] of the wind [a blast of air]. word study