Ecclesiastes 2

I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.

1I said to myself, "Come on, I will try having fun. I will enjoy every good thing." But this too turned out to be empty.

NoteThe King James Bible says "vanity" here. It does not mean being proud of your looks. It means empty, like a puff of air you cannot hold.

2I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?

2About laughing I said, "This is silly." About fun I said, "What does it really do?"

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 tried cheering myself with wine. I tried foolish things too. All the while my mind kept guiding me wisely. I wanted to find what is good for people to do in their short lives here on earth.

Note"Under the sun" and "under heaven" mean here on earth, in this life we can see.

4I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:

4I did great big things. I built houses for myself. I planted grapevines for myself.

5I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:

5I made gardens and parks for myself. In them I planted every kind of fruit tree.

6I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:

6I dug pools to hold water. The water fed my groves of growing 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 got servants, both men and women. More servants were born in my house. I owned more cattle and sheep than anyone in Jerusalem before me.

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 piled up silver and gold for myself. I took the treasures of kings and of whole lands. I got men singers and women singers. I had the things people most enjoy: many women of my own.

NoteThe old Hebrew word here is not clear. Some old Bibles read it as many women, and some read it as musical instruments.

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. I had more than anyone in Jerusalem before me. And my wisdom stayed with me the whole time.

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.

10Anything my eyes wanted, I took. I said no to nothing that made me happy. My heart was glad in all my work. That gladness was my pay for all my work.

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 looked at everything my hands had made. I looked at all the hard work it took. And it was all empty, like chasing the wind. Nothing at all was gained here on earth.

Note"Vexation of spirit" is an old way of saying chasing after wind. You run and run and catch nothing.

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.

12Then I turned to look at wisdom, and at wild and foolish ways. What can the next king do? Only what has already been done.

13Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

13I saw that wisdom is better than foolishness. It is better the way light is better 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.

14A wise man keeps his eyes open. A fool walks in the dark. But I saw that the same end comes to both. Both of them die.

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.

15So I said to myself, "What happens to the fool will happen to me too. So what did being wise get me?" And I said to myself, this too is empty.

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.

16Nobody remembers the wise man for long, and nobody remembers the fool. In days to come both will be forgotten. The wise man dies just like the fool.

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. The work done here on earth felt heavy and sad to me. It is all empty, like chasing 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.

18I hated all the hard work I had done here on earth. I hated it because I have to leave it to the man who comes after 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 if that man will be wise or foolish? Still, he will run everything I worked so carefully to build. This too is empty.

20Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.

20So my heart began to give up hope about all my hard work here 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.

21A man may work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill. Then he must hand it all to someone who never worked for it. This too is empty, and it is very wrong.

22For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?

22What does a person really get for all his hard work? What does he get for all his worry here 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.

23All his days are full of pain. His work brings him sorrow. Even at night his mind will not rest. This too is empty.

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.

24There is nothing better for a person than to eat and drink and enjoy his work. I saw that this also comes from God's hand.

25For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?

25For without God, who can eat? Who can enjoy anything at all?

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.

26God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to the person who pleases him. To the sinner God gives the job of gathering and piling things up. Then that pile goes to the one who pleases God. This too is empty, like chasing the wind.