New American Standard Bible 2020

Ecclesiastes 2:3-23

3I explored with my 1mind how to 2refresh my body with wine while my 3mind was guiding me wisely; and how to seize 4foolishness, until I could see 5what good there is for the sons of mankind 6to do under heaven for the few 7years of their lives. 4I enlarged my works: I 8built houses for myself, I planted 9vineyards for myself; 5I made 10gardens and 11parks for myself, and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; 6I made 12ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees. 7I bought male and female slaves, and I had 13 14slaves born at home. I also possessed flocks and 15herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. 8I also amassed for myself silver and 16gold, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself 17male and female singers, and the pleasures of the sons of mankind: many concubines.

9Then I became 18great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. 10 19All 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 20reward for all my labor. 11So I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had 21exerted, and behold, all was 22futility and striving after wind, and there was 23no benefit under the sun.

12So I turned to 24consider wisdom, insanity, and foolishness; for what will the man do who will come after the king, except 25what has already been done? 13Then I saw that 26wisdom surpasses foolishness as light surpasses darkness. 14The wise person’s eyes are in his head, but the 27fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that 28one and the same fate happens to 29both of them. 15Then I said 30to myself, “31As is the fate of the fool, it will also happen to me. 32Why then have I been extremely wise?” So 33I said to myself, “This too is futility.” 16For there is 34no 35lasting remembrance of the wise, along with the fool, since in the coming days everything will 36soon be forgotten. And 37how the wise and the fool alike die! 17So I 38hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was 39unhappy to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.

18So I hated 40all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, because I must 41leave it to the man who will come after me. 19And who knows whether he will be wise or 42a 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 43futility. 20Therefore I 44completely 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 45skill, and then 46gives his 47legacy to one who has not labored for it; this too is futility and a great evil. 22For what does a person get in 48all his labor and in 49his striving with which he labors under the sun? 23Because all his days his activity is painful and 50irritating; even at night his 51mind 52does not rest. This too is futility.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 2

Notes

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

Notes

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2