| Berean Study Bible | New International Version |
| 1I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good!” But it proved to be futile. | 1I said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good." But that also proved to be meaningless. |
| 2I said of laughter, “It is folly,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?” | 2"Laughter," I said, "is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?" |
| 3I sought to cheer my body with wine and to embrace folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—until I could see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. | 3I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly--my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives. |
| 4I expanded my pursuits. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. | 4I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. |
| 5I made gardens and parks for myself, where I planted all kinds of fruit trees. | 5I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. |
| 6I built reservoirs to water my groves of flourishing trees. | 6I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. |
| 7I acquired menservants and maidservants, and servants were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me, | 7I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. |
| 8and I accumulated for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered to myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men—many concubines. | 8I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well--the delights of a man's heart. |
| 9So I became great and surpassed all in Jerusalem who had preceded me; and my wisdom remained with me. | 9I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. |
| 10Anything my eyes desired, I did not deny myself. I refused my heart no pleasure. For my heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. | 10I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. |
| 11Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun. | 11Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun. |
| 12Then I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what more can the king’s successor do than what has already been accomplished? | 12Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. What more can the king's successor do than what has already been done? |
| 13And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness: | 13I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness. |
| 14The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also came to realize that one fate overcomes them both. | 14The wise have eyes in their heads, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both. |
| 15So I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will also befall me. What then have I gained by being wise?” And I said to myself that this too is futile. | 15Then I said to myself, "The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?" I said to myself, "This too is meaningless." |
| 16For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, just as with the fool, seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come. Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool! | 16For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered; the days have already come when both have been forgotten. Like the fool, the wise too must die! |
| 17So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind. | 17So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. |
| 18I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me. | 18I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. |
| 19And who knows whether that man will be wise or foolish? Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked skillfully under the sun. This too is futile. | 19And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. |
| 20So my heart began to despair over all the labor that I had done under the sun. | 20So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. |
| 21When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great evil. | 21For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. |
| 22For what does a man get for all the toil and striving with which he labors under the sun? | 22What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? |
| 23Indeed, all his days are filled with grief, and his task is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile. | 23All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless. |
| 24Nothing is better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy his work. I have also seen that this is from the hand of God. | 24A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, |
| 25For apart from Him, who can eat and who can find enjoyment? | 25for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? |
| 26To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind. | 26To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. |
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