New American Standard Bible 1995

Ecclesiastes 2:1-10

1I saidH559 1to myselfH3820, “ComeH1980 nowH4994, I will testH5254 you with 2pleasureH8057. So 3enjoyH7200 H2896 yourself.” And beholdH2009, it tooH1571 was futilityH1892. 2 4I saidH559 of laughterH7814, “It is madnessH1984,” and of pleasureH8057, “WhatH4100 does it accomplishH6213?” 3I exploredH8446 with my 5mindH3820 how to 6stimulateH4900 my bodyH1320 with wineH3196 while my 7mindH3820 was guidingH5090 me wiselyH2451, and how to takeH270 holdH270 of 8follyH5531, untilH5704 H834 I could seeH7200 9whatH335 H2088 goodH2896 there is for the sonsH1121 of menH120 10to doH6213 underH8478 heavenH8064 the fewH4557 11yearsH3117 of their livesH2425. 4I enlargedH1431 my worksH4639: I 12builtH1129 housesH1004 for myself, I plantedH5193 13vineyardsH3754 for myself; 5I madeH6213 14gardensH1593 and 15parksH6508 for myself and I plantedH5193 in them allH3605 kinds of fruitH6529 treesH6086; 6I madeH6213 16pondsH1295 of waterH4325 for myself from which to irrigateH8248 a forestH3293 of growingH6779 treesH6086. 7I boughtH7069 maleH5650 and femaleH8198 slavesH8198 H5650 and I hadH1961 17 18homebornH1121 H1004 slavesH1121. AlsoH1571 I possessed flocksH6629 and 19herdsH1241 largerH7235 thanH4480 allH3605 whoH7945 precededH6440 me in JerusalemH3389. 8AlsoH1571, I collectedH3664 for myself silverH3701 and 20goldH2091 and the treasureH5459 of kingsH4428 and provincesH4082. I providedH6213 for myself 21male and female singersH7891 and the pleasuresH8588 of menH1121 H120--manyH7705 concubinesH7705.

9Then I becameH1431 22greatH1431 and increasedH3254 moreH4480 thanH4480 allH3605 whoH7945 precededH6440 me in JerusalemH3389. My wisdomH2451 alsoH637 stoodH5975 by me. 10 23AllH3605 that my eyesH5869 desiredH7592 I did not refuseH680 them. I did not withholdH4513 my heartH3820 from anyH3605 pleasureH8057, for my heartH3820 was pleasedH8056 becauseH4480 of allH3605 my laborH5999 and thisH2088 was my 24rewardH2506 for allH3605 my laborH5999.

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Notes

1. Ecclesiastes 2:1 Lit in my heart ↩
2. Ecclesiastes 2:1 Eccl 7:4; 8:15 ↩
3. Ecclesiastes 2:1 Lit consider with goodness ↩
4. Ecclesiastes 2:2 Prov 14:13; Eccl 7:3, 6 ↩
5. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Lit heart ↩
6. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Judg 9:13; Ps 104:15; Eccl 10:19 ↩
7. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Lit heart ↩
8. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Eccl 7:25 ↩
9. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Eccl 2:24; 3:12, 13; 5:18; 6:12; 8:15; 12:13 ↩
10. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Lit which they do ↩
11. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Lit days ↩
12. Ecclesiastes 2:4 1 Kin 7:1-12 ↩
13. Ecclesiastes 2:4 Song 8:11 ↩
14. Ecclesiastes 2:5 Song 4:16; 5:1 ↩
15. Ecclesiastes 2:5 Neh 2:8 ↩
16. Ecclesiastes 2:6 Neh 2:14; 3:15, 16 ↩
17. Ecclesiastes 2:7 Lit sons of the house ↩
18. Ecclesiastes 2:7 Gen 14:14; 15:3 ↩
19. Ecclesiastes 2:7 1 Kin 4:23 ↩
20. Ecclesiastes 2:8 1 Kin 9:28; 10:10, 14, 21 ↩
21. Ecclesiastes 2:8 2 Sam 19:35 ↩
22. Ecclesiastes 2:9 1 Chr 29:25; Eccl 1:16 ↩
23. Ecclesiastes 2:10 Eccl 6:2 ↩
24. Ecclesiastes 2:10 Eccl 3:22; 5:18; 9:9 ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2