Ecclesiastes 2 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

The Vanity of Pleasure and Possessions

1 I said ^H559 in my heart ^H3820, “Come ^H1980 now ^H4994, I will test ^H5254 you with gladness ^H8057, so that you shall see ^H7200 good ^H2896 things ^H2896.” And behold ^H2009, it too ^H1571 was vanity ^H1892.

2 I said ^H559 of laughter ^H7814, “It is madness ^H1984,” and of gladness ^H8057, “What ^H4100 does it do ^H6213?” 3 I explored ^H8446 with my heart ^H3820 how to [fn]stimulate ^H4900 my [fn]body ^H1320 with wine ^H3196—while my heart ^H3820 was guiding ^H5090 me wisely ^H2451—and how to seize ^H270 simpleminded ^H5531 folly ^H5531, until ^H5704 H834 I could see ^H7200 where ^H335 H2088 is this good ^H2896 for the sons ^H1121 of men ^H120 in what they do ^H6213 under ^H8478 heaven ^H8064 the few ^H4557 days ^H3117 of their lives ^H2416. 4 I made ^H1431 my works ^H4639 great ^H1431: I built ^H1129 houses ^H1004 for myself; I planted ^H5193 vineyards ^H3754 for myself; 5 I made ^H6213 for myself gardens ^H1593 and parks ^H6508, and I planted ^H5193 in them all ^H3605 kinds of fruit ^H6529 trees ^H6086; 6 I made ^H6213 for myself pools ^H1295 of water ^H4325 from which to water ^H8248 a forest ^H3293 of growing ^H6779 trees ^H6086. 7 I bought ^H7069 male ^H5650 and female ^H8198 slaves ^H8198 H5650, and I had ^H1961 [fn]homeborn ^H1121 H1004 slaves ^H1121. Also ^H1571 I possessed flocks ^H6629 and herds ^H1241 larger ^H7235 than ^H4480 all ^H3605 who ^H7945 preceded ^H6440 me in Jerusalem ^H3389. 8 Also ^H1571, I collected ^H3664 for myself silver ^H3701 and gold ^H2091 and the treasure ^H5459 of kings ^H4428 and provinces ^H4082. I provided ^H6213 for myself male and female singers ^H7891 and the pleasures ^H8588 of the sons ^H1121 of men ^H120—many ^H7705 concubines ^H7705.

9 Then I became ^H1431 great ^H1431 and increased ^H3254 more ^H4480 than ^H4480 all ^H3605 who ^H7945 preceded ^H6440 me in Jerusalem ^H3389. My wisdom ^H2451 also ^H637 stood ^H5975 by me. 10 All ^H3605 that my eyes ^H5869 asked ^H7592 for I did not refuse ^H680 them. I did not withhold ^H4513 my heart ^H3820 from any ^H3605 gladness ^H8057, for my heart ^H3820 was glad ^H8056 because ^H4480 of all ^H3605 my labor ^H5999, and this ^H2088 was my reward ^H2506 for all ^H3605 my labor ^H5999. 11 Thus I turned ^H6437 to all ^H3605 my works ^H4639 which ^H7945 my hands ^H3027 had done ^H6213 and the labor ^H5999 which ^H7945 I had labored ^H5998 to do ^H6213, and behold ^H2009, all ^H3605 was [fn]vanity ^H1892 and striving ^H7469 after wind ^H7307, and there ^H369 was ^H369 no ^H369 advantage ^H3504 under ^H8478 the sun ^H8121.

Wisdom Excels Folly

12 So I turned ^H6437 to see ^H7200 wisdom ^H2451, madness ^H1947, and simpleminded ^H5531 folly ^H5531. What ^H4100 will the man ^H120 do who ^H7945 will come ^H935 after ^H310 the king ^H4428 except what ^H834 has already ^H3528 been done ^H6213?

13 And I saw ^H7200 that there is an advantage ^H3504 in wisdom ^H2451 over simpleminded ^H5531 folly ^H5531 as light ^H216 has an advantage ^H3504 over darkness ^H2822. 14 The wise ^H2450 man’s ^H2450 eyes ^H5869 are in his head ^H7218, but the fool ^H3684 walks ^H1980 in darkness ^H2822. And yet ^H1571 I know ^H3045 that the fate ^H4745 of one ^H259 becomes ^H7136 the fate ^H4745 of all ^H3605 of them. 15 Then I said ^H559 in my heart ^H3820, “As is the fate ^H4745 of the fool ^H3684, so will my fate ^H7136 be also ^H1571. Why ^H4100 then ^H227 have I been ^H2449 extremely ^H3148 wise ^H2449?” So I said ^H1696 in my heart ^H3820, “This ^H2088 too ^H1571 is vanity ^H1892.” 16 For there ^H369 is ^H369 no ^H369 remembrance ^H2146 of the wise ^H2450 man ^H2450 along with the fool ^H3684 forever ^H5769, inasmuch ^H7945 as in the coming ^H935 days ^H3117 all ^H3605 will be forgotten ^H7911. And how ^H349 the wise ^H2450 man ^H2450 dies ^H4191 with ^H5973 the fool ^H3684! 17 So I hated ^H8130 life ^H2416, for the work ^H4639 which ^H7945 had been done ^H6213 under ^H8478 the sun ^H8121 was [fn]grievous ^H7451 to me; because ^H3588 everything ^H3605 is vanity ^H1892 and striving ^H7469 after wind ^H7307.

The Vanity of Labor

18 Thus I hated ^H8130 all ^H3605 the fruit ^H5999 of ^H5999 my labor ^H5999 for which ^H7945 I had labored ^H6001 under ^H8478 the sun ^H8121, for I must leave ^H5117 it to the man ^H120 who ^H7945 will come ^H1961 after ^H310 me.

19 And who ^H4310 knows ^H3045 whether he will be a wise ^H2450 man ^H2450 or ^H176 a man of simpleminded ^H5530 folly ^H5530? Yet he will have ^H7980 [fn]power ^H7980 over ^H7980 all ^H3605 the fruit ^H5999 of ^H5999 my labor ^H5999 for which ^H7945 I have labored ^H5998 and for which I have acted ^H2449 wisely ^H2449 under ^H8478 the sun ^H8121. This ^H2088 too ^H1571 is vanity ^H1892. 20 Therefore I turned ^H5437 my heart ^H3820 to despair ^H2976 of all ^H3605 my labor ^H5999 for which ^H7945 I had labored ^H5998 under ^H8478 the sun ^H8121. 21 When ^H3588 there ^H3426 is ^H3426 a man ^H120 who ^H7945 has labored ^H5998 with wisdom ^H2451, knowledge ^H1847, and skill ^H3788, then he gives ^H5414 his portion ^H2506 to one ^H120 who ^H7945 has not labored ^H5998 with them. This ^H2088 too ^H1571 is vanity ^H1892 and a great ^H7227 evil ^H7451. 22 For what ^H4100 does a man ^H120 get ^H1933 in all ^H3605 his labor ^H5999 and in the striving ^H7475 of his heart ^H3820 with which ^H7945 he labors ^H6001 under ^H8478 the sun ^H8121? 23 Because ^H3588 all ^H3605 his days ^H3117 his endeavor ^H6045 is painful ^H4341 and vexing ^H3708; even ^H1571 at night ^H3915 his heart ^H3820 does not lie ^H7901 down ^H7901. This ^H2088 too ^H1571 is vanity ^H1892.

24 [fn]There ^H369 is ^H369 nothing ^H369 better ^H2896 for a man ^H120 than to eat ^H398 and drink ^H8354 and have ^H7200 his soul ^H5315 see good ^H2896 in his labor ^H5999. This ^H2090 also ^H1571 I have seen ^H7200 that it is from the hand ^H3027 of God ^H430. 25 For who ^H4310 can eat ^H398 and who ^H4310 can have ^H2363 enjoyment ^H2363 outside ^H2351 H4480 of [fn]Him? 26 For to a man ^H120 who ^H7945 is good ^H2896 before ^H6440 Him, He has given ^H5414 wisdom ^H2451 and knowledge ^H1847 and gladness ^H8057, while to the sinner ^H2398 He has given ^H5414 the endeavor ^H6045 of gathering ^H622 and collecting ^H3664 so that he may give ^H5414 to one ^H2896 who is good ^H2896 before ^H6440 God ^H430. This ^H2088 too ^H1571 is vanity ^H1892 and striving ^H7469 after wind ^H7307.