| English Standard Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. | 1I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good!” But it proved to be futile. |
| 2I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” | 2I said of laughter, “It is folly,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?” |
| 3I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. | 3I sought to cheer my body with wine and to embrace folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—until I could see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. |
| 4I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. | 4I expanded my pursuits. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. |
| 5I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. | 5I made gardens and parks for myself, where I planted all kinds of fruit trees. |
| 6I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. | 6I built reservoirs to water my groves of flourishing trees. |
| 7I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. | 7I acquired menservants and maidservants, and servants were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me, |
| 8I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man. | 8and I accumulated for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered to myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men—many concubines. |
| 9So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. | 9So I became great and surpassed all in Jerusalem who had preceded me; and my wisdom remained with me. |
| 10And 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. | 10Anything my eyes desired, I did not deny myself. I refused my heart no pleasure. For my heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. |
| 11Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. | 11Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun. |
| 12So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. | 12Then I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what more can the king’s successor do than what has already been accomplished? |
| 13Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. | 13And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness: |
| 14The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. | 14The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also came to realize that one fate overcomes them both. |
| 15Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. | 15So I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will also befall me. What then have I gained by being wise?” And I said to myself that this too is futile. |
| 16For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! | 16For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, just as with the fool, seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come. Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool! |
| 17So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind. | 17So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind. |
| 18I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, | 18I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me. |
| 19and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. | 19And who knows whether that man will be wise or foolish? Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked skillfully under the sun. This too is futile. |
| 20So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, | 20So my heart began to despair over all the labor that I had done under the sun. |
| 21because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. | 21When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great evil. |
| 22What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? | 22For what does a man get for all the toil and striving with which he labors under the sun? |
| 23For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity. | 23Indeed, all his days are filled with grief, and his task is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile. |
| 24There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, | 24Nothing is better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy his work. I have also seen that this is from the hand of God. |
| 25for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? | 25For apart from Him, who can eat and who can find enjoyment? |
| 26For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. | 26To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. |
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