New American Standard Bible 2020

Ecclesiastes 2:4-18

4I enlarged my works: I 1built houses for myself, I planted 2vineyards for myself; 5I made 3gardens and 4parks for myself, and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; 6I made 5ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees. 7I bought male and female slaves, and I had 6 7slaves born at home. I also possessed flocks and 8herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. 8I also amassed for myself silver and 9gold, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself 10male and female singers, and the pleasures of the sons of mankind: many concubines.

9Then I became 11great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. 10 12All 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 13reward for all my labor. 11So I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had 14exerted, and behold, all was 15futility and striving after wind, and there was 16no benefit under the sun.

12So I turned to 17consider wisdom, insanity, and foolishness; for what will the man do who will come after the king, except 18what has already been done? 13Then I saw that 19wisdom surpasses foolishness as light surpasses darkness. 14The wise person’s eyes are in his head, but the 20fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that 21one and the same fate happens to 22both of them. 15Then I said 23to myself, “24As is the fate of the fool, it will also happen to me. 25Why then have I been extremely wise?” So 26I said to myself, “This too is futility.” 16For there is 27no 28lasting remembrance of the wise, along with the fool, since in the coming days everything will 29soon be forgotten. And 30how the wise and the fool alike die! 17So I 31hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was 32unhappy to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.

18So I hated 33all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, because I must 34leave it to the man who will come after me.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 2

Notes

1. Ecclesiastes 2:4 1 Kin 7:1-12 ↩
2. Ecclesiastes 2:4 Song 8:11 ↩
3. Ecclesiastes 2:5 Song 4:16; 5:1 ↩
4. Ecclesiastes 2:5 Neh 2:8 ↩
5. Ecclesiastes 2:6 Neh 2:14; 3:15, 16 ↩
6. Ecclesiastes 2:7 Lit sons ↩
7. Ecclesiastes 2:7 Gen 14:14; 15:3 ↩
8. Ecclesiastes 2:7 1 Kin 4:23 ↩
9. Ecclesiastes 2:8 1 Kin 9:28; 10:10, 14, 21 ↩
10. Ecclesiastes 2:8 2 Sam 19:35 ↩
11. Ecclesiastes 2:9 1 Chr 29:25; Eccl 1:16 ↩
12. Ecclesiastes 2:10 Eccl 6:2 ↩
13. Ecclesiastes 2:10 Eccl 3:22; 5:18; 9:9 ↩
14. Ecclesiastes 2:11 Lit labored to do ↩
15. Ecclesiastes 2:11 Eccl 1:14; 2:22, 23 ↩
16. Ecclesiastes 2:11 Eccl 1:3; 3:9; 5:16 ↩
17. Ecclesiastes 2:12 Eccl 1:17 ↩
18. Ecclesiastes 2:12 Eccl 1:9, 10; 3:15 ↩
19. Ecclesiastes 2:13 Eccl 7:11, 12, 19; 9:18; 10:10 ↩
20. Ecclesiastes 2:14 1 John 2:11 ↩
21. Ecclesiastes 2:14 Ps 49:10; Eccl 3:19; 6:6; 7:2; 9:2, 3 ↩
22. Ecclesiastes 2:14 Lit all of ↩
23. Ecclesiastes 2:15 Lit in my heart ↩
24. Ecclesiastes 2:15 Eccl 2:16 ↩
25. Ecclesiastes 2:15 Eccl 6:8, 11 ↩
26. Ecclesiastes 2:15 Lit I spoke in my heart ↩
27. Ecclesiastes 2:16 Eccl 1:11; 9:5 ↩
28. Ecclesiastes 2:16 Lit forever ↩
29. Ecclesiastes 2:16 Lit already ↩
30. Ecclesiastes 2:16 Eccl 2:14 ↩
31. Ecclesiastes 2:17 Eccl 4:2, 3 ↩
32. Ecclesiastes 2:17 Lit evil ↩
33. Ecclesiastes 2:18 Eccl 1:3; 2:11 ↩
34. Ecclesiastes 2:18 Ps 39:6; 49:10 ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2