| King James Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. | 1I told myself, "I will test you with pleasure, so enjoy yourself." But this was pointless. |
| 2I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? | 2"Senseless," said I concerning laughter and pleasure, "How practical is this?" |
| 3I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. | 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 made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: | 4With respect to my extravagant works, I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself. |
| 5I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: | 5I constructed gardens and orchards for myself, and within them I planted all kinds of fruit trees. |
| 6I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: | 6I built for myself water reservoirs to irrigate forests that produce trees. |
| 7I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: | 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 gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts. | 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 was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. | 9So I became great, greater than anyone who had lived before me in Jerusalem. Throughout all of this, I remained wise. |
| 10And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. | 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. |
| 11Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit 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. |
| 12And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already 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? |
| 13Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness. | 13I concluded that wisdom is more useful than foolishness, just as light is more useful than darkness. |
| 14The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all. | 14The wise use their eyes, but the fool walks in darkness. I also perceived that the same outcome affects them all. |
| 15Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity. | 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 there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as 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 is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. | 17So I hated life, because whatever is done on earth causes me trouble—it's all pointless, like chasing after the wind. |
| 18Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be 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 knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity. | 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. |
| 20Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun. | 20So I came to be in despair about everything I had accomplished on earth. |
| 21For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil. | 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 hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured 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 sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity. | 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 a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. | 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, |
| 25For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I? | 25for who can eat or enjoy life apart from him? |
| 26For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit. | 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. |
| King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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