New American Standard Bible 2020

Ecclesiastes 2:1-13

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 senselessH1984,” and of pleasureH8057, “WhatH4100 does thisH2088 accomplishH6213?” 3I exploredH8446 with my 5mindH3820 how to 6refreshH4900 my bodyH1320 with wineH3196 while my 7mindH3820 was guidingH5090 me wiselyH2451; and how to seizeH270 8foolishnessH5531, untilH5704 H834 I could seeH7200 9whatH335 H2088 goodH2896 there is for the sonsH1121 of mankindH120 10to doH6213 underH8478 heavenH8064 for 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 18slavesH1121 born at homeH1004. I alsoH1571 possessed flocksH6629 and 19herdsH1241 largerH7235 thanH4480 allH3605 whoH7945 precededH6440 me in JerusalemH3389. 8I alsoH1571 amassedH3664 for myself silverH3701 and 20goldH2091, and the treasureH5459 of kingsH4428 and provincesH4082. I providedH6213 for myself 21male and female singersH7891, and the pleasuresH8588 of the sonsH1121 of mankindH120: 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 restrainH4513 my heartH3820 from anyH3605 pleasureH8057, for my heartH3820 was pleasedH8056 becauseH4480 of allH3605 my laborH5999; and thisH2088 was my 24rewardH2506 for allH3605 my laborH5999. 11So I consideredH6437 allH3605 my activitiesH4639 whichH7945 my handsH3027 had doneH6213 and the laborH5999 whichH7945 I had 25exertedH6213, and beholdH2009, allH3605 was 26futilityH1892 and strivingH7469 after windH7307, and thereH369 wasH369 27noH369 benefitH3504 underH8478 the sunH8121.

12So I turnedH6437 to 28considerH7200 wisdomH2451, insanityH1947, and foolishnessH5531; for whatH4100 will the manH120 do whoH7945 will comeH935 afterH310 the kingH4428, except 29whatH834 has alreadyH3528 been doneH6213? 13Then I sawH7200 that 30wisdomH2451 surpassesH3426 H3504 H4480 foolishnessH5531 as lightH216 surpassesH3504 H4480 darknessH2822.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 2

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 ↩
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 ↩
25. Ecclesiastes 2:11 Lit labored to do ↩
26. Ecclesiastes 2:11 Eccl 1:14; 2:22, 23 ↩
27. Ecclesiastes 2:11 Eccl 1:3; 3:9; 5:16 ↩
28. Ecclesiastes 2:12 Eccl 1:17 ↩
29. Ecclesiastes 2:12 Eccl 1:9, 10; 3:15 ↩
30. Ecclesiastes 2:13 Eccl 7:11, 12, 19; 9:18; 10:10 ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2