ECC 2:1 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for Bible-translators and others doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still early looks into the drafted texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Εἶπον ἐγὼ ἐν καρδίᾳ μου, δεῦρο δὴ πειράσω σε ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ, καὶ ἴδε ἐν ἀγαθῷ· καὶ ἰδοὺ καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης.
(Eipon egō en kardia mou, deuro daʸ peirasō se en eufrosunaʸ, kai ide en agathōi; kai idou kai ge touto mataiotaʸs.)

BrTr I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth, and behold thou good: and, behold, this is also vanity.

ULT I spoke, I with my heart, “Come, let me test you with joy and see good.” But look, it also was vapor.

UST Then I said to myself, “Let me experiment. I will try to make myself as happy and satisfied as possible by doing everything that I enjoy. This will enable me to discover whether doing what I enjoy provides me with lasting contentment.” Now pay attention! I concluded that even the joy and satisfaction I experienced from these pleasures were as temporary as the fading mist of my breath.

BSB I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good!”
§ But it proved to be futile.

MSB (Same as BSB above)

OEB No OEB ECC book available

WEBBE I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure;” and behold, this also was vanity.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET
¶ 
⇔ “Come now, I will try self-indulgent pleasure to see if it is worthwhile.”
⇔ But I found that it also is futile.

LSV I said in my heart, “Pray, come, I try you with mirth, and look on gladness”; and behold, even it [is] vanity.

FBV So then I thought to myself, “Alright, let me examine pleasure and see how good that is.” But this too turned out to be something temporary that passes.

T4T Then I said to myself, “Okay, I will try to do everything that I enjoy. I will find out whether doing what I enjoy can truly enable me to be happy.” But I found out that doing that was also useless/senseless.

LEB I said _⌊to myself_⌋,[fn] “Come! I will test[fn] pleasure _⌊to see whether it is worthwhile_⌋.”[fn] But look, “This also is vanity!”

2:1 Literally “to my heart”

2:1 The MT reads “I will test you,” but the BHS editors propose “I will test …” Whether or not one adopts MT, Qohelet is speaking to himself

2:1 Literally “and look at goodness”; this idiom refers to the enjoyment of life

BBE I said in my heart, I will give you joy for a test; so take your pleasure — but it was to no purpose.

Moff Said I to myself, “Come, try pleasure and enjoy yourself.” But this too was in vain.

JPS I said in my heart: 'Come now, I will try thee with mirth, and enjoy pleasure'; and, behold, this also was vanity.

ASV I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also was vanity.

DRA I said in my heart: I will go, and abound with delights, and enjoy good things. And I saw that this also was vanity.

YLT I said in my heart, 'Pray, come, I try thee with mirth, and look thou on gladness;' and lo, even it [is] vanity.

Drby I said in my heart, Come now, I will try thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure. But behold, this also is vanity.

RV I SAID in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also was vanity.
(I SAID in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee/you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also was vanity.)

SLT I said in my heart, Go now, I will prove thee with gladness, and look thou upon good: and behold, this also vanity.

Wbstr I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and behold, this also is vanity.

KJB-1769 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
(I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee/you with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.)

KJB-1611 ¶ I said in mine heart, Goe to now, I wil prooue thee with mirth, therfore enioy pleasure: and behold, this also is vanitie.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps Then sayde I thus in my heart: Nowe go to, I will take myne ease, and haue good dayes: But lo, that is vanitie also.
(Then said I thus in my heart: Now go to, I will take mine ease, and have good days: But lo, that is vanity also.)

Gnva I said in mine heart, Goe to nowe, I will proue thee with ioy: therefore take thou pleasure in pleasant things: and beholde, this also is vanitie.
(I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee/you with joy: therefore take thou/you pleasure in pleasant things: and behold, this also is vanity.)

Cvdl The sayde I thus in my hert: Now go to, I wil take myne ease & haue good dayes. But lo, that was vanite also:
(The said I thus in my heart: Now go to, I will take mine ease and have good days. But lo, that was vanity also:)

Wycl Therfor Y seide in myn hertez, Y schal go, and Y schal flowe in delicis, and Y schal vse goodis; and Y siy also that this was vanyte.
(Therefore I said in mine hertez, I shall go, and I shall flow in delicis, and I shall use goods; and I saw also that this was vanity.)

Luth Ich sprach in meinem Herzen: Wohlan, ich will wohlleben und gute Tage haben. Aber siehe, das war auch eitel.
(I spoke in my heart(s): Well_then, I will live_well and good days have. But see/look, the what/which also vain.)

ClVg [Dixi ego in corde meo: Vadam, et affluam deliciis, et fruar bonis; et vidi quod hoc quoque esset vanitas.[fn]
([I_said I in/into/on heart mine: I_will_go, and flow delights, and enjoy good; and I_saw that this too was vanity.)

2.1 Dixi ergo. HIER. Postquam in multitudine sapientiæ, etc., usque ad tunc non vanitas erit, sed veritas.

2.1 I_said therefore. HIER. After in/into/on multitude of_wisdom, etc., until to then not/no vanity will_be, but the_truth.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

וּ⁠רְאֵ֣ה בְ⁠ט֑וֹב

and,look on,good

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of Madness, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [and find out what is truly satisfying]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

וְ⁠הִנֵּ֥ה

and=see/lo/see!

Solomon is speaking of his inner deliberation as if he were physically exploring a territory. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [But in fact]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

נָּ֛א אֲנַסְּ⁠כָ֛ה בְ⁠שִׂמְחָ֖ה וּ⁠רְאֵ֣ה בְ⁠ט֑וֹב

now let,me_put_you_to_the_test with,pleasure and,look on,good

Solomon is using the question form to express his conclusion that joy accomplishes nothing worthwhile. If a speaker of your language would not use the question form for that purpose, you could translate this as a statement or as an exclamation.

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

אָמַ֤רְתִּֽי אֲנִי֙ בְּ⁠לִבִּ֔⁠י

said I in,heart_of,my

The word heart here represents a person’s thoughts and desires. Solomon is speaking to his heart as a way of expressing his inner deliberation. You may have a comparable expression in your language, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [I said to myself]

Note 5 topic: writing-pronouns

אָמַ֤רְתִּֽי אֲנִי֙ בְּ⁠לִבִּ֔⁠י

said I in,heart_of,my

Solomon is stating the pronoun I separately, even though the verb translated as spoke already includes this meaning. He is doing that to emphasize that he himself is the one who undertook this test. If a speaker of your language would use an explicit pronoun for the same purpose, you may want to use that construction in your translation. If not, your language may have other ways of showing the meaning here.

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / imperative

נָּ֛א אֲנַסְּ⁠כָ֛ה

now let,me_put_you_to_the_test

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of joy, you could express the same idea in another way.

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

גַם־ה֖וּא הָֽבֶל

also/even he/it Abel

Solomon is speaking as if the futility and transience of his pursuit of pleasure were vapor, which disappears quickly and lacks substance. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [it also was temporary and without lasting value]

Parallel ECC 2:1