| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. | 1I thought to myself, "Come now, I will try self-indulgent pleasure to see if it is worthwhile." But I found that it also is futile. |
| 2I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” | 2I said of partying, "It is folly," and of self-indulgent pleasure, "It accomplishes nothing!" |
| 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 thought deeply about the effects of indulging myself with wine (all the while my mind was guiding me with wisdom) and the effects of behaving foolishly, so that I might discover what is profitable for people to do on earth during the few days of their lives. |
| 4I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. | 4I increased my possessions: I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself. |
| 5I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. | 5I designed royal gardens and parks for myself, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. |
| 6I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. | 6I constructed pools of water for myself, to irrigate my 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 purchased male and female slaves, and I owned slaves who were born in my house; I also possessed more livestock--both herds and flocks--than any of my predecessors 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, as well as valuable treasures taken from kingdoms and provinces. I acquired male singers and female singers for myself, and what gives a man sensual delight--a harem of beautiful concubines! |
| 9So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. | 9So I was far wealthier than all my predecessors in Jerusalem, yet I maintained my objectivity: |
| 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. | 10I did not restrain myself from getting whatever I wanted; I did not deny myself anything that would bring me pleasure. So all my accomplishments gave me joy; this was my reward for all my effort. |
| 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 reflected on everything I had accomplished and on all the effort that I had expended to accomplish it, I concluded: "All these achievements and possessions are ultimately profitless--like chasing the wind! There is nothing gained from them on earth." |
| 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. | 12Next, I decided to consider wisdom, as well as foolish behavior and ideas. For what more can the king's successor do than what the king has already done? |
| 13Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. | 13I realized that wisdom is preferable to folly, just as light is preferable to 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 can see where he is going, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also realized that the same fate happens 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 thought to myself, "The fate of the fool will happen even to me! Then what did I gain by becoming so excessively wise?" So I lamented to myself, "The benefits of wisdom are ultimately meaningless!" |
| 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 the wise man, like the fool, will not be remembered for very long, because in the days to come, both will already have been forgotten. Alas, the wise man 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. | 17So I loathed life because what happens on earth seems awful to me; for all the benefits of wisdom are futile--like chasing 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, | 18So I loathed all the fruit of my effort, for which I worked so hard on earth, because I must leave it behind in the hands of my successor. |
| 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. | 19Who knows if he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will be master over all the fruit of my labor for which I worked so wisely on earth! This also 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 despair about all the fruit of my labor for which I worked so hard on earth. |
| 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. | 21For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; however, he must hand over the fruit of his labor as an inheritance to someone else who did not work for it. This also is futile, and an awful injustice! |
| 22What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? | 22What does a man acquire from all his labor and from the anxiety that accompanies his toil on earth? |
| 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 day long his work produces pain and frustration, and even at night his mind cannot relax! This also 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 people than to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in their work. I also perceived that this ability to find enjoyment comes from God. |
| 25for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? | 25For no one can eat and drink or experience joy 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 one who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner, he gives the task of amassing wealth--only to give it to the one who pleases God. This task of the wicked is futile--like chasing the wind! |
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