1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Ecclesiastes 2

1 The vanity of human courses in the works of pleasure. 12 Though the wise be better than the fool, yet both have one event. 18 The vanity of human labour, in leaving it they know not to whom. 24 Nothing better than joy in our labour; but that is God's gift.

 2:1 I said 559 to myself 3820, “Come 1980 now 4994, I will test 5254 you with pleasure 8057. So enjoy 7200 2896b yourself.” And behold 2009, it too 1571 was futility 1892.

 2:2 I said 559 of laughter 7814, “It is madness 1984b,” and of pleasure 8057, “What 4100 does it accomplish 6213a?”

 2:3 I explored 8446 with my mind 3820 [how] to stimulate 4900 my body 1320 with wine 3196 while my mind 3820 was guiding 5090a [me] wisely 2451, and how to take 270 hold 270 of folly 5531, until 5704 834 I could see 7200 what 335 2088 good 2896a there is for the sons 1121 of men 120 to do 6213a under 8478 heaven 8064 the few 4557 years 3117 of their lives 2425b.

 2:4 I enlarged 1431 my works 4639: I built 1129 houses 1004 for myself, I planted 5193 vineyards 3754 for myself;

 2:5 I made 6213a gardens 1593 and parks 6508 for myself and I planted 5193 in them all 3605 kinds of fruit 6529 trees 6086;

 2:6 I made 6213a ponds 1295 of water 4325 for myself from which to irrigate 8248 a forest 3293a of growing 6779 trees 6086.

 2:7 I bought 7069 male 5650 and female 8198 slaves 8198 5650 and I had 1961 homeborn 1121 1004 slaves 1121. Also 1571 I possessed flocks 6629 and herds 1241 larger 7235a than 4480 all 3605 who 7945 preceded 6440 me in Jerusalem 3389.

 2:8 Also 1571, I collected 3664 for myself silver 3701 and gold 2091 and the treasure 5459 of kings 4428 and provinces 4082. I provided 6213a for myself male and female singers 7891 and the pleasures 8588 of men 1121 120—many 7705 concubines 7705.

 2:9 ¶ Then I became 1431 great 1431 and increased 3254 more 4480 than 4480 all 3605 who 7945 preceded 6440 me in Jerusalem 3389. My wisdom 2451 also 637 stood 5975 by me.

 2:10 All 3605 that my eyes 5869 desired 7592 I did not refuse 680 them. I did not withhold 4513 my heart 3820 from any 3605 pleasure 8057, for my heart 3820 was pleased 8056 because 4480 of all 3605 my labor 5999 and this 2088 was my reward 2506 for all 3605 my labor 5999.

 2:11 Thus I considered 6437 all 3605 my activities 4639 which 7945 my hands 3027 had done 6213a and the labor 5999 which 7945 I had exerted 6213a, and behold 2009 all 3605 was vanity 1892 and striving 7469 after wind 7307 and there 369 was no 369 profit 3504 under 8478 the sun 8121.

 2:12 ¶ So I turned 6437 to consider 7200 wisdom 2451, madness 1947 and folly 5531; for what 4100 [will] the man 120 [do] who 7945 will come 935 after 310 the king 4428 [except] what 834 has already 3528 been done 6213a?

 2:13 And I saw 7200 that wisdom 2451 excels 3504 folly 5531 as light 216 excels 3504 darkness 2822.

 2:14 The wise 2450 man’s 2450 eyes 5869 are in his head 7218, but the fool 3684 walks 1980 in darkness 2822. And yet 1571 I know 3045 that one 259 fate 4745 befalls 7136a them both 3605.

 2:15 Then I said 559 to myself 3820, “As is the fate 4745 of the fool 3684, it will also 1571 befall 7136a me. Why 4100 then 227 have I been 2449 extremely 3148 wise 2449?” So I said 1696 to myself 3820, “This 2088 too 1571 is vanity 1892.”

 2:16 For there 369 is no 369 lasting 5769 remembrance 2146 of the wise 2450 man 2450 [as] with the fool 3684, inasmuch 7945 as [in] the coming 935 days 3117 all 3605 will be forgotten 7911. And how 349 the wise 2450 man 2450 and the fool 3684 alike 5973 die 4191!

 2:17 So I hated 8130 life 2425b, for the work 4639 which 7945 had been done 6213a under 8478 the sun 8121 was grievous 7451a to me; because 3588 everything 3605 is futility 1892 and striving 7469 after wind 7307.

 2:18 ¶ Thus I hated 8130 all 3605 the fruit 5999 of my labor 5999 for which 7945 I had labored 6001b under 8478 the sun 8121, for I must leave 5117 it to the man 120 who 7945 will come 1961 after 310 me.

 2:19 And who 4310 knows 3045 whether he will be a wise 2450 man 2450 or 176 a fool 5530? Yet he will have control 7980 over 7980 all 3605 the fruit 5999 of my labor 5999 for which 7945 I have labored 5998 by acting 2449 wisely 2449 under 8478 the sun 8121. This 2088 too 1571 is vanity 1892.

 2:20 Therefore I completely 5437 3820 despaired 2976 of all 3605 the fruit 5999 of my labor 5999 for which 7945 I had labored 5998 under 8478 the sun 8121.

 2:21 When 3588 there 3426 is a man 120 who 7945 has labored 5998 with wisdom 2451, knowledge 1847 and skill 3788, then he gives 5414 his legacy 2506 to one 120 who 7945 has not labored 5998 with them. This 2088 too 1571 is vanity 1892 and a great 7227a evil 7463a.

 2:22 For what 4100 does a man 120 get 1933b in all 3605 his labor 5999 and in his striving 7475 with which 7945 he labors 6001b under 8478 the sun 8121?

 2:23 Because 3588 all 3605 his days 3117 his task 6045 is painful 4341 and grievous 3708a; even 1571 at night 3915 his mind 3820 does not rest 7901. This 2088 too 1571 is vanity 1892.

 2:24 ¶ There 369 is nothing 369 better 2896a for a man 120 [than] to eat 398 and drink 8354 and tell 7200 himself 5315 that his labor 5999 is good 2896b. This 2090 also 1571 I have seen 7200 that it is from the hand 3027 of God 430.

 2:25 For who 4310 can eat 398 and who 4310 can have 2363b enjoyment 2363b without 2351 4480 Him?

 2:26 For to a person 120 who 7945 is good 2896a in His sight 6440 He has given 5414 wisdom 2451 and knowledge 1847 and joy 8057, while to the sinner 2398 He has given 5414 the task 6045 of gathering 622 and collecting 3664 so that he may give 5414 to one 2896a who 2896a is good 2896a in God’s 430 sight 6440. This 2088 too 1571 is vanity 1892 and striving 7469 after wind 7307.