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Ecclesiastes 2

Ecclesiastes

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New American Standard Bible 2020

Ecclesiastes 2:4-18

4I enlargedH1431 my worksH4639: I 1builtH1129 housesH1004 for myself, I plantedH5193 2vineyardsH3754 for myself; 5I madeH6213 3gardensH1593 and 4parksH6508 for myself, and I plantedH5193 in them allH3605 kinds of fruitH6529 treesH6086; 6I madeH6213 5pondsH1295 of waterH4325 for myself from which to irrigateH8248 a forestH3293 of growingH6779 treesH6086. 7I boughtH7069 maleH5650 and femaleH8198 slavesH8198H5650, and I hadH1961 67slavesH1121 born at homeH1004. I alsoH1571 possessed flocksH6629 and 8herdsH1241 largerH7235 thanH4480 allH3605 whoH7945 precededH6440 me in JerusalemH3389. 8I alsoH1571 amassedH3664 for myself silverH3701 and 9goldH2091, and the treasureH5459 of kingsH4428 and provincesH4082. I providedH6213 for myself 10male and female singersH7891, and the pleasuresH8588 of the sonsH1121 of mankindH120: manyH7705 concubinesH7705.

9Then I becameH1431 11greatH1431 and increasedH3254 moreH4480 thanH4480 allH3605 whoH7945 precededH6440 me in JerusalemH3389. My wisdomH2451 alsoH637 stoodH5975 by me. 1012AllH3605 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 13rewardH2506 for allH3605 my laborH5999. 11So I consideredH6437 allH3605 my activitiesH4639 whichH7945 my handsH3027 had doneH6213 and the laborH5999 whichH7945 I had 14exertedH6213, and beholdH2009, allH3605 was 15futilityH1892 and strivingH7469 after windH7307, and thereH369 wasH369 16noH369 benefitH3504 underH8478 the sunH8121.

12So I turnedH6437 to 17considerH7200 wisdomH2451, insanityH1947, and foolishnessH5531; for whatH4100 will the manH120 do whoH7945 will comeH935 afterH310 the kingH4428, except 18whatH834 has alreadyH3528 been doneH6213? 13Then I sawH7200 that 19wisdomH2451 surpassesH3426H3504H4480 foolishnessH5531 as lightH216 surpassesH3504H4480 darknessH2822. 14The wiseH2450 person’sH2450 eyesH5869 are in his headH7218, but the 20foolH3684 walksH1980 in darknessH2822. And yetH1571 I knowH3045 that 21oneH259 and the same fateH4745 happensH7136 to 22bothH3605 of them. 15Then I saidH559 23to myselfH3820, “24As is the fateH4745 of the foolH3684, it will alsoH1571 happenH7136 to me. 25WhyH4100 thenH227 have I beenH2449 extremelyH3148 wiseH2449?” So 26I saidH1696 to myselfH3820, “ThisH2088 tooH1571 is futilityH1892.” 16For thereH369 isH369 27noH369 28lastingH5769 remembranceH2146 of the wiseH2450, alongH5973 withH5973 the foolH3684, sinceH7945 in the comingH935 daysH3117 everythingH3605 will 29soonH3528 be forgottenH7911. And 30howH349 the wiseH2450 and the foolH3684 alikeH5973 dieH4191! 17So I 31hatedH8130 lifeH2425, for the workH4639 whichH7945 had been doneH6213 underH8478 the sunH8121 was 32unhappyH7451 to me; becauseH3588 everythingH3605 is futilityH1892 and strivingH7469 after windH7307.

18So I hatedH8130 33allH3605 the fruitH5999 ofH5999 my laborH5999 for whichH7945 I had laboredH6001 underH8478 the sunH8121, because I must 34leaveH5117 it to the manH120 whoH7945 will comeH1961 afterH310 me.

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Notes

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

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 2

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