New American Standard Bible 1995

Ecclesiastes 2:17-22

17So I 1hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was 2grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.

18Thus I hated 3all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must 4leave it to the man who will come after me. 19And who knows whether he will be a wise man or 5a fool? Yet he will have 6control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is 7vanity. 20Therefore I 8completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun. 21When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and 9skill, then he 10gives his 11legacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil. 22For what does a man get in 12all his labor and in 13his striving with which he labors under the sun?

Read all of Ecclesiastes 2

Notes

1. Ecclesiastes 2:17 Eccl 4:2, 3 ↩
2. Ecclesiastes 2:17 Lit evil ↩
3. Ecclesiastes 2:18 Eccl 1:3; 2:11 ↩
4. Ecclesiastes 2:18 Ps 39:6; 49:10 ↩
5. Ecclesiastes 2:19 1 Kin 12:13 ↩
6. Ecclesiastes 2:19 Lit dominion ↩
7. Ecclesiastes 2:19 1 Tim 6:10 ↩
8. Ecclesiastes 2:20 Lit turned aside my heart to despair ↩
9. Ecclesiastes 2:21 Eccl 4:4 ↩
10. Ecclesiastes 2:21 Eccl 2:18 ↩
11. Ecclesiastes 2:21 Lit share ↩
12. Ecclesiastes 2:22 Eccl 1:3; 2:11 ↩
13. Ecclesiastes 2:22 Lit the striving of his heart ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2