Ecclesiastes 2 — Side by side (WEB, ASV, DRA, YLT)

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

1I said in my heart: I will go, and abound with delights, and enjoy good things. And I saw that this also was vanity.

1I said in my heart, `Pray, come, I try thee with mirth, and look thou on gladness;' and lo, even it <FI>is<Fi> vanity.

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

2Laughter I counted error: and to mirth I said: Why art thou vainly deceived?

2Of laughter I said, `Foolish!' and of mirth, `What <FI>is<Fi> this it is doing?'

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 thought in my heart, to withdraw my flesh from wine, that I might turn my mind to wisdom, and might avoid folly, till I might see what was profitable for the children of men: and what they ought to do under the sun, all the days of their life.

3I have sought in my heart to draw out with wine my appetite, (and my heart leading in wisdom), and to take hold on folly till that I see where <FI>is<Fi> this--the good to the sons of man of that which they do under the heavens, the number of the days of their lives.

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

4I made me great works, I built me houses, and planted vineyards,

4I made great my works, I builded for me houses, I planted for me vineyards.

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

5I made gardens, and orchards, and set them with trees of all kinds,

5I made for me gardens and paradises, and I planted in them trees of every fruit.

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

6And I made me ponds of water, to water therewith the wood of the young trees,

6I made for me pools of water, to water from them a forest shooting forth trees.

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 got me menservants, and maidservants, and had a great family: and herds of oxen, and great flocks of sheep, above all that were before me in Jerusalem:

7I got men-servants, and maid-servants, and sons of the house were to me; also, I had much substance--herd and flock--above all who had been before me in Jerusalem.

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 heaped together for myself silver and gold, and the wealth of kings, and provinces: I made me singing men, and singing women, and the delights of the sons of men, cups and vessels to serve to pour out wine:

8I gathered for me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces. I prepared for me men-singers and women-singers, and the luxuries of the sons of man--a wife and wives.

9So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

9And I surpassed in riches all that were before me in Jerusalem: my wisdom also remained with me.

9And I became great, and increased above every one who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood with me.

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.

10And whatsoever my eyes desired, I refused them not: and I withheld not my heart from enjoying every pleasure, and delighting itself in the things which I had prepared: and esteemed this my portion, to make use of my own labour.

10And all that mine eyes asked I kept not back from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labour, and this hath been my portion, from all my labour,

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.

11And when I turned myself to all the works which my hands had wrought, and to the labours wherein I had laboured in vain, I saw in all things vanity, and vexation of mind, and that nothing was lasting under the sun.

11and I have looked on all my works that my hands have done, and on the labour that I have laboured to do, and lo, the whole <FI>is<Fi> vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no advantage 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.

12I passed further to behold wisdom, and errors and folly, (What is man, said I that he can follow the King his maker?)

12And I turned to see wisdom, and madness, and folly, but what <FI>is<Fi> the man who cometh after the king? that which <FI>is<Fi> already--they have done it!

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

13And I saw that wisdom excelled folly, as much as light differeth from darkness.

13And I saw that there is an advantage to wisdom above folly, like the advantage of the light above the 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.

14The eyes of a wise man are in his head: the fool walketh in darkness: and I learned that they were to die both alike.

14The wise! --his eyes <FI>are<Fi> in his head, and the fool in darkness is walking, and I also knew that one event happeneth with them all;

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.

15And I said in my heart: If the death of the fool and mine shall be one, what doth it avail me, that I have applied myself more to the study of wisdom? And speaking with my own mind, I perceived that this also was vanity.

15and I said in my heart, `As it happeneth with the fool, it happeneth also with me, and why am I then more wise?' And I spake in my heart, that also this <FI>is<Fi> vanity:

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!

16For there shall be no remembrance of the wise no more than of the fool forever, and the times to come shall cover all things together with oblivion: the learned dieth in like manner as the unlearned.

16That there is no remembrance to the wise--with the fool--to the age, for that which <FI>is<Fi> already, <FI>in<Fi> the days that are coming is all forgotten, and how dieth the wise? with 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.

17And therefore I was weary of my life, when I saw that all things under the sun are evil, and all vanity and vexation of spirit.

17And I have hated life, for sad to me <FI>is<Fi> the work that hath been done under the sun, for the whole <FI>is<Fi> vanity and vexation of spirit.

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.

18Again I hated all my application wherewith I had earnestly laboured under the sun, being like to have an heir after me,

18And I have hated all my labour that I labour at under the sun, because I leave it to a man who is 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.

19Whom I know not whether he will be a wise man or a fool, and he shall have rule over all my labours with which I have laboured and been solicitous: and is there anything so vain?

19And who knoweth whether he is wise or foolish? yet he doth rule over all my labour that I have laboured at, and that I have done wisely under the sun! this also <FI>is<Fi> vanity.

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

20Wherefore I left off and my heart renounced labouring anymore under the sun.

20And I turned round to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour that I laboured at 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.

21For when a man laboureth in wisdom, and knowledge, and carefulness, he leaveth what he hath gotten to an idle man: so this also is vanity, and a great evil.

21For there is a man whose labour <FI>is<Fi> in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity, and to a man who hath not laboured therein he giveth it--his portion! Even this <FI>is<Fi> vanity and a great evil.

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

22For what profit shall a man have of all his labour, and vexation of spirit, with which he hath been tormented under the sun?

22For what hath been to a man by all his labour, and by the thought of his heart that he laboured at 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 his days are full of sorrows and miseries, even in the night he doth not rest in mind: and is not this vanity?

23For all his days are sorrows, and his travail sadness; even at night his heart hath not lain down; this also <FI>is<Fi> vanity.

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.

24Is it not better to eat and drink, and to shew his soul good things of his labours? and this is from the hand of God.

24There is nothing good in a man who eateth, and hath drunk, and hath shewn his soul good in his labour. This also I have seen that it <FI>is<Fi> from the hand of God.

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

25Who shall so feast and abound with delights as I?

25For who eateth and who hasteth out more than I?

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 hath given to a man that is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he hath given vexation, and superfluous care, to heap up and to gather together, and to give it to him that hath pleased God: but this also is vanity, and a fruitless solicitude of the mind.

26For to a man who <FI>is<Fi> good before Him, He hath given wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; and to a sinner He hath given travail, to gather and to heap up, to give to the good before God. Even this <FI>is<Fi> vanity and vexation of spirit.