| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, 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—“Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?” | 2I said of laughter, “It is folly,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?” |
| 3I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives. | 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 my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. | 4I expanded my pursuits. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. |
| 5I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. | 5I made gardens and parks for myself, where I planted all kinds of fruit trees. |
| 6I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove. | 6I built reservoirs to water my groves of flourishing trees. |
| 7I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. | 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 special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds. | 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 excelled more than 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. |
| 10Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor. | 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 looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit 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. |
| 12Then I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly; For what can the man do who succeeds the king?— Only what he has already 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 wisdom excels folly As light excels darkness. | 13And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness: |
| 14The wise man’s eyes are in his head, But the fool walks in darkness. Yet I myself perceived That the same event happens to them all. | 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. |
| 15So I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, It also happens to me, And why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart, “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 there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come. And how does a wise man die? As 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! |
| 17Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the 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. |
| 18Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because 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 rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise 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. |
| 20Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun. | 20So my heart began to despair over all the labor that I had done under the sun. |
| 21For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored 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. |
| 22For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under 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 sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no 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. |
| 24Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was 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 who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? | 25For apart from Him, who can eat and who can find enjoyment? |
| 26For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the 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. |
|
