| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1I said to myself, "Go ahead, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good." But it turned out to be futile. | 1I told myself, "I will test you with pleasure, so enjoy yourself." But this was pointless. |
| 2I said about laughter, "It is madness," and about pleasure, "What does this accomplish?" | 2"Senseless," said I concerning laughter and pleasure, "How practical is this?" |
| 3I explored with my mind how to let my body enjoy life with wine and how to grasp folly--my mind still guiding me with wisdom--until I could see what is good for people to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. | 3I decided to indulge in wine, while still remaining committed to wisdom. I also tried to indulge in foolishness, just enough to determine whether it was good for human beings under heaven given the short time of their lives. |
| 4I increased my achievements. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. | 4With respect to my extravagant works, I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself. |
| 5I made gardens and parks for myself and planted every kind of fruit tree in them. | 5I constructed gardens and orchards for myself, and within them I planted all kinds of fruit trees. |
| 6I constructed reservoirs of water for myself from which to irrigate a grove of flourishing trees. | 6I built for myself water reservoirs to irrigate forests that produce trees. |
| 7I acquired male and female servants and had slaves who were born in my house. I also owned many herds of cattle and flocks, more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. | 7I acquired male and female slaves, and had other slaves born in my house. I also acquired for myself increasing numbers of herds and flocks—more than anyone who had lived before me in Jerusalem. |
| 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. | 8I also accumulated silver, gold, and the wealth of kings and their kingdoms. I gathered around me both male and female singers, along with what delights a man—all sorts of mistresses. |
| 9So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom also remained with me. | 9So I became great, greater than anyone who had lived before me in Jerusalem. Throughout all of this, I remained wise. |
| 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. | 10Whenever I wanted something I had seen, I never refused that desire. Instead, I enjoyed everything I did, and this became the reward in what I had undertaken. |
| 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. | 11Then I examined all of my accomplishments that I had brought about by my own efforts, including the work that I had labored so hard to complete—and it was all pointless, like chasing after the wind, and there was nothing to be gained on earth. |
| 12Then I turned to consider wisdom, madness, and folly, for what will the man be like who comes after the king? He will do what has already been done. | 12Next I turned to examine wisdom, insanity, and foolishness, because what can a person do who succeeds the king except what has already been accomplished? |
| 13And I realized that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly, like the advantage of light over darkness. | 13I concluded that wisdom is more useful than foolishness, just as light is more useful than darkness. |
| 14The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also knew that one fate comes to them both. | 14The wise use their eyes, but the fool walks in darkness. I also perceived that the same outcome affects them all. |
| 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. | 15Then I told myself, "Whatever happens to the fool will happen also to me. Therefore what's the point in being so wise?" And I told myself that this also is pointless. |
| 16For, just like the fool, there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man, since in the days to come both will be forgotten. How is it that the wise man dies just like the fool? | 16For neither the wise nor the fool will be long remembered, since in days to come everything will be forgotten. The wise man dies the same way as the fool, does he not? |
| 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. | 17So I hated life, because whatever is done on earth causes me trouble—it's all pointless, like chasing after the wind. |
| 18I hated all my work that I labored at under the sun because I must leave it to the man who comes after me. | 18Then I despised everything I had worked for on earth, that is, the things that I will leave to the person who will succeed me. |
| 19And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will take over all my work that I labored at skillfully under the sun. This too is futile. | 19And who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? Either way, he will take possession of everything that I have done on earth, especially where I have excelled. This also is pointless. |
| 20So I began to give myself over to despair concerning all my work that I had labored at under the sun. | 20So I came to be in despair about everything I had accomplished on earth. |
| 21When there is a man whose work was done 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 wrong. | 21For sometimes people who strive to obtain wisdom, knowledge, and equity leave everything as an inheritance to a person who never worked for it. This, too, is pointless and greatly troublesome. |
| 22For what does a man get with all his work and all his efforts that he labors at under the sun? | 22For what does a person gain from everything that he accomplishes and from his inner life struggles that he undergoes while working on earth? |
| 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. | 23Indeed, all of his days are filled with sorrow, and his struggles bring grief. In fact, his mind remains restless throughout the night. This is pointless, too! |
| 24There is nothing better for man than to eat, drink, and enjoy his work. I have seen that even this is from God's hand, | 24The only worthwhile thing for a human being is to eat, drink, and enjoy life's goodness that he finds in what he accomplishes. This, I observed, is also from the hand of God himself, |
| 25because who can eat and who can enjoy life apart from Him? | 25for who can eat or enjoy life apart from him? |
| 26For to the man 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. | 26After all, to the person who is good in God's sight, he gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner he gives the troublesome task of acquiring and accumulating in order to leave it to someone who is good in the sight of God. This also is pointless and chasing after the wind. |
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