Ecclesiastes 2

1I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also was vanity.

1I said to myself, 'Come now, I will test you with pleasure; go ahead and enjoy yourself.' But I found that this, too, was pointless.

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

2I said of laughter, 'It is crazy,' and of pleasure, 'What does it actually accomplish?'

3I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their life.

3I tried to cheer myself up with wine while my mind still guided me with wisdom. I wanted to see if living foolishly was the answer, so I could find out what is best for people to do during their few days on earth.

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

4I took on great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards.

5I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit;

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

6I made me pools of water, to water therefrom the forest where trees were reared;

6I built reservoirs to collect water to irrigate my growing forests.

7I bought men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that were before me in Jerusalem;

7I bought male and female slaves, and I had others who were born in my house. I also owned more livestock—both herds and flocks—than anyone who lived in Jerusalem before me.

8I gathered me also silver and gold, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces; I gat me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

8I piled up silver and gold, the treasures of kings and provinces. I hired men and women to sing for me and had many concubines, which are the luxuries men enjoy.

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, more famous than anyone who lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom stayed with me through it all.

10And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor; and this was my portion from all my labor.

10I did not deny myself anything my eyes saw; I didn't refuse my heart any pleasure. My heart was happy with all my hard work, and this was the reward for all my effort.

11Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

11But when I looked at everything my hands had done and the hard work I had put into it, I saw that it was all useless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing real to show for it under the sun.

12And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for whatcanthe mandothat cometh after the king? even that which hath been done long ago.

12Then I began to compare wisdom with madness and foolishness. After all, what can the man who follows the 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, just as light is better than darkness.

14The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness: and yet I perceived that one event happeneth to them all.

14A wise person can see where they are going, but a fool walks in the dark. Yet I also realized that the same fate happens to both of them.

15Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then said I in my heart, that this also is vanity.

15Then I thought to myself, 'Since the same thing that happens to the fool will happen to me, what was the point of me being so wise?' I told myself that this, too, was pointless.

16For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. And how doth the wise man die even as the fool!

16There is no lasting memory of the wise man or the fool; in the days to come, both will be forgotten. It is sad that the wise man must die just like the fool!

17So I hated life, because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.

17So I hated life, because everything done under the sun seemed miserable to me. Everything is empty and like chasing the wind.

18And I hated all my labor wherein I labored under the sun, seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

18I hated all the hard work I had done under the sun, because I must leave it all to the person who comes after me.

19And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he have rule over all my labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

19And who knows if he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will have control over everything I worked for and showed my wisdom for under the sun. This also is pointless.

20Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor wherein I had labored under the sun.

20So I became discouraged and began to give up on all the hard work I had done under the sun.

21For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skilfulness; yet to a man that hath not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

21A person may work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and then must leave everything they own to someone who didn't work for it at all. This is not only pointless but a great tragedy.

22For what hath a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he laboreth under the sun?

22What does a person get for all the hard work and mental stress they go through under the sun?

23For all his days are but sorrows, and his travail is grief; yea, even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.

23All their days are filled with pain, and their work is a burden; even at night their minds do not rest. This, too, is pointless.

24There is nothing better for a manthanthat he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.

24The best thing a person can do is eat, drink, and find satisfaction in their work. I realized that even this ability comes from the hand of God.

25For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?

25For who can eat or have enjoyment any better than I can?

26For to the man that pleaseth him God giveth 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 pleaseth God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

26God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to the person who pleases him. But to the sinner, he gives the task of gathering and storring up wealth, only to give it to the one who pleases God. This is also pointless, like chasing the wind.