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Ecclesiastes 2

Ecclesiastes

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New American Standard Bible 2020

Ecclesiastes 2

The Futility of Pleasure and Possessions

1I said 1to myself, “Come now, I will test you with 2pleasure. So 3enjoy yourself.” And behold, it too was futility. 24I said of laughter, “It is senseless,” and of pleasure, “What does this accomplish?” 3I explored with my 5mind how to 6refresh my body with wine while my 7mind was guiding me wisely; and how to seize 8foolishness, until I could see 9what good there is for the sons of mankind 10to do under heaven for the few 11years of their lives. 4I enlarged my works: I 12built houses for myself, I planted 13vineyards for myself; 5I made 14gardens and 15parks for myself, and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; 6I made 16ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees. 7I bought male and female slaves, and I had 1718slaves born at home. I also possessed flocks and 19herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. 8I also amassed for myself silver and 20gold, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself 21male and female singers, and the pleasures of the sons of mankind: many concubines.

9Then I became 22great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. 1023All that my eyes desired, I did not refuse them. I did not restrain my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor; and this was my 24reward for all my labor. 11So I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had 25exerted, and behold, all was 26futility and striving after wind, and there was 27no benefit under the sun.

Wisdom Surpasses Foolishness

12So I turned to 28consider wisdom, insanity, and foolishness; for what will the man do who will come after the king, except 29what has already been done? 13Then I saw that 30wisdom surpasses foolishness as light surpasses darkness. 14The wise person’s eyes are in his head, but the 31fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that 32one and the same fate happens to 33both of them. 15Then I said 34to myself, “35As is the fate of the fool, it will also happen to me. 36Why then have I been extremely wise?” So 37I said to myself, “This too is futility.” 16For there is 38no 39lasting remembrance of the wise, along with the fool, since in the coming days everything will 40soon be forgotten. And 41how the wise and the fool alike die! 17So I 42hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was 43unhappy to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.

The Futility of Labor

18So I hated 44all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, because I must 45leave it to the man who will come after me. 19And who knows whether he will be wise or 46a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is 47futility. 20Therefore I 48completely despaired over all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun. 21When there is a person who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and 49skill, and then 50gives his 51legacy to one who has not labored for it; this too is futility and a great evil. 22For what does a person get in 52all his labor and in 53his striving with which he labors under the sun? 23Because all his days his activity is painful and 54irritating; even at night his 55mind 56does not rest. This too is futility.

24There is 57nothing better for a person than to eat and drink, and show 58himself some good in his trouble. This too I have seen, that it is 59from the hand of God. 25For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without 60Him? 26For to a person who is good in His sight, 61He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may 62give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is 63futility and striving after wind.

Notes

  1. 1. Ecclesiastes 2:1 Lit in my heart ↩
  2. 2. Ecclesiastes 2:1 Eccl 7:4; 8:15 ↩
  3. 3. Ecclesiastes 2:1 Lit consider with goodness ↩
  4. 4. Ecclesiastes 2:2 Prov 14:13; Eccl 7:3, 6 ↩
  5. 5. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Lit heart ↩
  6. 6. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Judg 9:13; Ps 104:15; Eccl 10:19 ↩
  7. 7. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Lit heart ↩
  8. 8. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Eccl 7:25 ↩
  9. 9. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Eccl 2:24; 3:12, 13; 5:18; 6:12; 8:15; 12:13 ↩
  10. 10. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Lit which they do ↩
  11. 11. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Lit days ↩
  12. 12. Ecclesiastes 2:4 1 Kin 7:1-12 ↩
  13. 13. Ecclesiastes 2:4 Song 8:11 ↩
  14. 14. Ecclesiastes 2:5 Song 4:16; 5:1 ↩
  15. 15. Ecclesiastes 2:5 Neh 2:8 ↩
  16. 16. Ecclesiastes 2:6 Neh 2:14; 3:15, 16 ↩
  17. 17. Ecclesiastes 2:7 Lit sons ↩
  18. 18. Ecclesiastes 2:7 Gen 14:14; 15:3 ↩
  19. 19. Ecclesiastes 2:7 1 Kin 4:23 ↩
  20. 20. Ecclesiastes 2:8 1 Kin 9:28; 10:10, 14, 21 ↩
  21. 21. Ecclesiastes 2:8 2 Sam 19:35 ↩
  22. 22. Ecclesiastes 2:9 1 Chr 29:25; Eccl 1:16 ↩
  23. 23. Ecclesiastes 2:10 Eccl 6:2 ↩
  24. 24. Ecclesiastes 2:10 Eccl 3:22; 5:18; 9:9 ↩
  25. 25. Ecclesiastes 2:11 Lit labored to do ↩
  26. 26. Ecclesiastes 2:11 Eccl 1:14; 2:22, 23 ↩
  27. 27. Ecclesiastes 2:11 Eccl 1:3; 3:9; 5:16 ↩
  28. 28. Ecclesiastes 2:12 Eccl 1:17 ↩
  29. 29. Ecclesiastes 2:12 Eccl 1:9, 10; 3:15 ↩
  30. 30. Ecclesiastes 2:13 Eccl 7:11, 12, 19; 9:18; 10:10 ↩
  31. 31. Ecclesiastes 2:14 1 John 2:11 ↩
  32. 32. Ecclesiastes 2:14 Ps 49:10; Eccl 3:19; 6:6; 7:2; 9:2, 3 ↩
  33. 33. Ecclesiastes 2:14 Lit all of ↩
  34. 34. Ecclesiastes 2:15 Lit in my heart ↩
  35. 35. Ecclesiastes 2:15 Eccl 2:16 ↩
  36. 36. Ecclesiastes 2:15 Eccl 6:8, 11 ↩
  37. 37. Ecclesiastes 2:15 Lit I spoke in my heart ↩
  38. 38. Ecclesiastes 2:16 Eccl 1:11; 9:5 ↩
  39. 39. Ecclesiastes 2:16 Lit forever ↩
  40. 40. Ecclesiastes 2:16 Lit already ↩
  41. 41. Ecclesiastes 2:16 Eccl 2:14 ↩
  42. 42. Ecclesiastes 2:17 Eccl 4:2, 3 ↩
  43. 43. Ecclesiastes 2:17 Lit evil ↩
  44. 44. Ecclesiastes 2:18 Eccl 1:3; 2:11 ↩
  45. 45. Ecclesiastes 2:18 Ps 39:6; 49:10 ↩
  46. 46. Ecclesiastes 2:19 1 Kin 12:13 ↩
  47. 47. Ecclesiastes 2:19 1 Tim 6:10 ↩
  48. 48. Ecclesiastes 2:20 Lit turned aside my heart to despair ↩
  49. 49. Ecclesiastes 2:21 Eccl 4:4 ↩
  50. 50. Ecclesiastes 2:21 Eccl 2:18 ↩
  51. 51. Ecclesiastes 2:21 Lit share ↩
  52. 52. Ecclesiastes 2:22 Eccl 1:3; 2:11 ↩
  53. 53. Ecclesiastes 2:22 Lit the striving of his heart ↩
  54. 54. Ecclesiastes 2:23 Job 5:7; 14:1; Eccl 1:18; 5:17 ↩
  55. 55. Ecclesiastes 2:23 Lit heart ↩
  56. 56. Ecclesiastes 2:23 Ps 127:2 ↩
  57. 57. Ecclesiastes 2:24 Eccl 2:3; 3:12, 13, 22; 5:18; 6:12; 8:15; 9:7; Is 56:12; Luke 12:19; 1 Cor 15:32; 1 Tim 6:17 ↩
  58. 58. Ecclesiastes 2:24 Lit his soul ↩
  59. 59. Ecclesiastes 2:24 Eccl 3:13 ↩
  60. 60. Ecclesiastes 2:25 As in LXX; Heb me ↩
  61. 61. Ecclesiastes 2:26 Job 32:8; Prov 2:6 ↩
  62. 62. Ecclesiastes 2:26 Job 27:16, 17; Prov 13:22 ↩
  63. 63. Ecclesiastes 2:26 Eccl 1:14 ↩

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2

New American Standard Bible 2020 — © 1960–2020 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.