| English Standard Version | Christian Standard 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, "Go ahead, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good." But it turned out to be futile. |
| 2I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” | 2I said about laughter, "It is madness," and about pleasure, "What does this 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 explored with my mind the pull of wine on my body--my mind still guiding me with wisdom--and how to grasp folly, until I could see what is good for people to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. |
| 4I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. | 4I increased my achievements. 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 and planted every kind of fruit tree in them. |
| 6I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. | 6I constructed reservoirs for myself from which to irrigate a grove 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 male and female servants and had slaves who were born in my house. I also owned livestock--large herds and flocks--more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. |
| 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. | 8I also amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered male and female singers for myself, and many concubines, the delights of men. |
| 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 who were before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom also 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. | 10All that my eyes desired, I did not deny them. I did not refuse myself any pleasure, for I took pleasure in all my struggles. This was my reward for all my struggles. |
| 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. | 11When I considered all that I had accomplished and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and 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, madness, and folly, for what will the king's successor be like? He will do what has already been done. |
| 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 realized that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly, like the advantage of light over 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 person has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also knew that one fate comes to 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, "What happens to the fool will also happen to me. Why then have I been overly wise?" And I said to myself that this is also 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, just like the fool, there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, since in the days to come both will be forgotten. How is it that the wise person dies 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. | 17Therefore, I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing 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 my work that I labored at under the sun because I must leave it to the one 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 he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will take over all my work that I labored at 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 I began to give myself over to despair concerning all my work that I had labored at 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 person whose work was done with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a person who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great wrong. |
| 22What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? | 22For what does a person get with all his work and all his efforts that he labors at 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. | 23For all his days are filled with grief, and his occupation 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, | 24There is nothing better for a person than to eat, drink, and enjoy his work. I have seen that even this is from God's hand, |
| 25for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? | 25because who can eat and who can enjoy life apart from him? |
| 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. | 26For to the person who is pleasing in his sight, he gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and accumulating in order to give to the one who is pleasing in God's sight. 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 Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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