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2 Said I to myself, “Come, try pleasure and enjoy yourself.” But this too was in vain. 2 Mirth is madness, I reflected, and what is the good of pleasure? 3 I searched my mind how to pamper my body with wine (keeping control of myself wisely all the time), how to come by folly, till I could see how best the sons of men might fare under the sun during the few days of their life. 4 I went in for great works, I built mansions, planted vineyards, 5 laid out gardens and parks in which I planted all manner of fruit-trees, 6 making pools to water the trees in my plantations; 7 I bought slaves, both men and women, and had slaves born within my household; I had large herds and flocks, larger than any before me in Jerusalem; 8 I amassed silver and gold, right royal treasures; I secured singers, both men and women, and many a mistress, man’s delight. 9 Richer and richer I grew, more than any before me in Jerusalem, nor did my wisdom leave me. 10 Nothing I coveted did I refuse myself; I denied my heart no joy--for my heart did feel joy in all this toil; so much I did get from all my efforts. 11 But when I turned to look at all I had achieved and at my toil and trouble, then it was all vain and futile. Nothing in this world is worth while. 12 For what can he do who succeeds the king? Nothing but what the king has done already. 13 Then I turned to look into wisdom and mad folly. Wisdom is better than folly, I saw, as light is better than darkness; 14 for the wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the dark. But I also found that one fate falls to both. 15 So I said to myself, “If the fool’s fate is to be my fate, what is the use of all my wisdom? This too is vain,” 16 said I to myself. “The wise man is no more remembered than the fool, for in days to come both alike will have been long forgotten. Alas, the wise man dies like the fool!”
17 So I hated life; for all that goes on under the sun seemed evil to me, all of it vain and futile. 18 I hated all that I had toiled at under the sun, knowing that I must leave it to the man who follows me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have it all in his own hands, all I have won by my toil and trouble and skill under the sun. This too is vain. 20 So I turned to despair of all my toil and trouble under the sun; 21 for a man who has toiled skilfully and thoughtfully and ably has to leave all his gains to one who has never worked for them. This too is vain it is a great evil. 22 For what good does a man get himself from all the toil and strain of his labour in this world? 23 All through life his task is a sheer pain and vexation, day after day; the very night brings no rest to his mind. This too is vain. 24 There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy himself, as he does his work. And this, I find, is what God grants; 25 for who can eat, who can enjoy himself, apart from God? 26 [[To a man whom God approves, he grants wisdom, knowledge, and happiness, but he sets a sinner the task of gathering and amassing wealth, only to leave it to the man whom God approves (which is indeed vain and futile).]]