Ecclesiastes 2 :: New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

The Futility of Pleasure and Possessions

1 I said ^H559 [fn]to myself ^H3820, “Come ^H1980 now ^H4994, I will test ^H5254 you with pleasure ^H8057. So [fn]enjoy ^H7200 H2896 yourself.” And behold ^H2009, it too ^H1571 was futility ^H1892.

2 I said ^H559 of laughter ^H7814, “It is senseless ^H1984,” and of pleasure ^H8057, “What ^H4100 does this ^H2088 accomplish ^H6213?” 3 I explored ^H8446 with my [fn]mind ^H3820 how to refresh ^H4900 my body ^H1320 with wine ^H3196 while my [fn]mind ^H3820 was guiding ^H5090 me wisely ^H2451; and how to seize ^H270 foolishness ^H5531, until ^H5704 H834 I could see ^H7200 what ^H335 H2088 good ^H2896 there is for the sons ^H1121 of mankind ^H120 [fn]to do ^H6213 under ^H8478 heaven ^H8064 for the few ^H4557 [fn]years ^H3117 of their lives ^H2416. 4 I enlarged ^H1431 my works ^H4639: I built ^H1129 houses ^H1004 for myself, I planted ^H5193 vineyards ^H3754 for myself; 5 I made ^H6213 gardens ^H1593 and parks ^H6508 for myself, and I planted ^H5193 in them all ^H3605 kinds of fruit ^H6529 trees ^H6086; 6 I made ^H6213 ponds ^H1295 of water ^H4325 for myself from which to irrigate ^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]slaves ^H1121 born at home ^H1004. I also ^H1571 possessed flocks ^H6629 and herds ^H1241 larger ^H7235 than ^H4480 all ^H3605 who ^H7945 preceded ^H6440 me in Jerusalem ^H3389. 8 I also ^H1571 amassed ^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 mankind ^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 desired ^H7592, I did not refuse ^H680 them. I did not restrain ^H4513 my heart ^H3820 from any ^H3605 pleasure ^H8057, for my heart ^H3820 was pleased ^H8056 because ^H4480 of all ^H3605 my labor ^H5999; and this ^H2088 was my reward ^H2506 for all ^H3605 my labor ^H5999. 11 So I considered ^H6437 all ^H3605 my activities ^H4639 which ^H7945 my hands ^H3027 had done ^H6213 and the labor ^H5999 which ^H7945 I had [fn]exerted ^H6213, and behold ^H2009, all ^H3605 was futility ^H1892 and striving ^H7469 after wind ^H7307, and there ^H369 was ^H369 no ^H369 benefit ^H3504 under ^H8478 the sun ^H8121.

Wisdom Surpasses Foolishness

12 So I turned ^H6437 to consider ^H7200 wisdom ^H2451, insanity ^H1947, and foolishness ^H5531; for 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 Then I saw ^H7200 that wisdom ^H2451 surpasses ^{H3426 H3504 H4480} foolishness ^H5531 as light ^H216 surpasses ^H3504 H4480 darkness ^H2822. 14 The wise ^H2450 person’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 one ^H259 and the same fate ^H4745 happens ^H7136 to [fn]both ^H3605 of them. 15 Then I said ^H559 [fn]to myself ^H3820, “As is the fate ^H4745 of the fool ^H3684, it will also ^H1571 happen ^H7136 to me. Why ^H4100 then ^H227 have I been ^H2449 extremely ^H3148 wise ^H2449?” So [fn]I said ^H1696 to myself ^H3820, “This ^H2088 too ^H1571 is futility ^H1892.” 16 For there ^H369 is ^H369 no ^H369 [fn]lasting ^H5769 remembrance ^H2146 of the wise ^H2450, along ^H5973 with ^H5973 the fool ^H3684, since ^H7945 in the coming ^H935 days ^H3117 everything ^H3605 will [fn]soon ^H3528 be forgotten ^H7911. And how ^H349 the wise ^H2450 and the fool ^H3684 alike ^H5973 die ^H4191! 17 So I hated ^H8130 life ^H2416, for the work ^H4639 which ^H7945 had been done ^H6213 under ^H8478 the sun ^H8121 was [fn]unhappy ^H7451 to me; because ^H3588 everything ^H3605 is futility ^H1892 and striving ^H7469 after wind ^H7307.

The Futility of Labor

18 So 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, because 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 wise ^H2450 or ^H176 a fool ^H5530? Yet he will have ^H7980 control ^H7980 over ^H7980 all ^H3605 the fruit ^H5999 of ^H5999 my labor ^H5999 for which ^H7945 I have labored ^H5998 by acting ^H2449 wisely ^H2449 under ^H8478 the sun ^H8121. This ^H2088 too ^H1571 is futility ^H1892. 20 Therefore I [fn]completely ^H5437 H3820 despaired ^H2976 over ^H5921 all ^H3605 the fruit ^H5999 of ^H5999 my labor ^H5999 for which ^H7945 I had labored ^H5998 under ^H8478 the sun ^H8121. 21 When ^H3588 there ^H3426 is ^H3426 a person ^H120 who ^H7945 has labored ^H5998 with wisdom ^H2451, knowledge ^H1847, and skill ^H3788, and then gives ^H5414 his [fn]legacy ^H2506 to one ^H120 who ^H7945 has not labored ^H5998 for it; this ^H2088 too ^H1571 is futility ^H1892 and a great ^H7227 evil ^H7451. 22 For what ^H4100 does a person ^H120 get ^H1933 in all ^H3605 his labor ^H5999 and in [fn]his striving ^H7475 with which ^H7945 he labors ^H6001 under ^H8478 the sun ^H8121? 23 Because ^H3588 all ^H3605 his days ^H3117 his activity ^H6045 is painful ^H4341 and irritating ^H3708; even ^H1571 at night ^H3915 his [fn]mind ^H3820 does not rest ^H7901. This ^H2088 too ^H1571 is futility ^H1892.

24 There ^H369 is ^H369 nothing ^H369 better ^H2896 for a person ^H120 than to eat ^H398 and drink ^H8354, and show ^H7200 [fn]himself ^H5315 some good ^H2896 in his trouble ^H5999. This ^H2090 too ^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 without ^H2351 H4480 [fn]Him? 26 For to a person ^H120 who ^H7945 is good ^H2896 in His sight ^H6440, He has given ^H5414 wisdom ^H2451 and knowledge ^H1847 and joy ^H8057, while to the sinner ^H2398 He has given ^H5414 the task ^H6045 of gathering ^H622 and collecting ^H3664 so that he may give ^H5414 to one ^H2896 who is good ^H2896 in God’s ^H430 sight ^H6440. This ^H2088 too ^H1571 is futility ^H1892 and striving ^H7469 after wind ^H7307.