Shared Word Translation

Ecclesiastes 2

I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; see what is good.” But look: this too was vapor.

Of laughter I said, “Madness!” And of pleasure, “What does this accomplish?”

I searched in my heart how to draw my body along with wine—while my heart was guiding me with wisdom—and how to grasp folly, until I might see what is good for human beings to do under heaven during the number of the days of their lives.

I made my works great. I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself.

I made gardens and parks for myself, and planted in them every kind of fruit tree.

I made pools of water for myself, to water from them a forest growing trees.

I acquired male slaves and female slaves, and household-born slaves belonged to me. I also had livestock—herds and flocks—more than all who were before me in Jerusalem.

I also gathered for myself silver and gold, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male singers and female singers, and the delights of human beings: a consort and consorts.

So I became great and increased beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.

Whatever my eyes asked for, I did not withhold from them. I did not keep my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my portion from all my labor.

Then I turned to all the works my hands had made and to the labor I had labored to do. And look: all was vapor and a chasing after wind; there was no advantage under the sun.

Then I turned to consider wisdom, madness, and folly. For what can the one who comes after the king do, except what has already been done?

And I saw that wisdom has an advantage over folly, as light has an advantage over darkness.

The wise have their eyes in their head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also knew that one fate comes to them all.

Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I become wiser?” And I said in my heart that this too is vapor.

For there is no enduring remembrance of the wise alongside the fool, since in the days to come all is already forgotten. And how the wise dies along with the fool!

So I hated life, because the work done under the sun was grievous to me. For all is vapor and a chasing after wind.

I hated all my labor at which I had labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the one who will come after me.

And who knows whether that one will be wise or foolish? Yet that one will rule over all my labor, for which I labored and used wisdom under the sun. This too is vapor.

So I turned to give my heart over to despair concerning all the labor at which I had labored under the sun.

For there is a person whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, yet that person must give their portion to one who has not labored for it. This too is vapor and a great evil.

For what does a person have from all their labor and from the striving of their heart, with which they labor under the sun?

For all their days are pains, and their task is vexation; even at night their heart does not lie down. This too is vapor.

There is nothing better for a person than to eat and drink and show their life what is good in their labor. This too, I saw, is from the hand of God.

For who can eat, and who can enjoy, apart from me?

For to the person who is good before him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and collecting, to give to the one who is good before God. This too is vapor and a chasing after wind.