| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 1I thought to myself, "Come now, I will try self-indulgent pleasure to see if it is worthwhile." But I found that it also is 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 partying, "It is folly," and of self-indulgent pleasure, "It accomplishes nothing!" | 2"Laughter," I said, "is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?" |
| 3I thought deeply about the effects of indulging myself with wine (all the while my mind was guiding me with wisdom) and the effects of behaving foolishly, so that I might discover what is profitable for people to do on earth 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 increased my possessions: I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself. | 4I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. |
| 5I designed royal gardens and parks for myself, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. | 5I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. |
| 6I constructed pools of water for myself, to irrigate my grove of flourishing trees. | 6I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. |
| 7I purchased male and female slaves, and I owned slaves who were born in my house; I also possessed more livestock--both herds and flocks--than any of my predecessors in Jerusalem. | 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. |
| 8I also amassed silver and gold for myself, as well as valuable treasures taken from kingdoms and provinces. I acquired male singers and female singers for myself, and what gives a man sensual delight--a harem of beautiful 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 was far wealthier than all my predecessors in Jerusalem, yet I maintained my objectivity: | 9I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. |
| 10I did not restrain myself from getting whatever I wanted; I did not deny myself anything that would bring me pleasure. So all my accomplishments gave me joy; this was my reward for all my effort. | 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 reflected on everything I had accomplished and on all the effort that I had expended to accomplish it, I concluded: "All these achievements and possessions are ultimately profitless--like chasing the wind! There is nothing gained from them on earth." | 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. |
| 12Next, I decided to consider wisdom, as well as foolish behavior and ideas. For what more can the king's successor do than what the king has already done? | 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? |
| 13I realized that wisdom is preferable to folly, just as light is preferable to darkness: | 13I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness. |
| 14The wise man can see where he is going, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also realized that the same fate happens to 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 thought to myself, "The fate of the fool will happen even to me! Then what did I gain by becoming so excessively wise?" So I lamented to myself, "The benefits of wisdom are ultimately meaningless!" | 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 the wise man, like the fool, will not be remembered for very long, because in the days to come, both will already have been forgotten. Alas, the wise man dies--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 loathed life because what happens on earth seems awful to me; for all the benefits of wisdom are futile--like chasing 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. |
| 18So I loathed all the fruit of my effort, for which I worked so hard on earth, because I must leave it behind in the hands of my successor. | 18I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. |
| 19Who knows if he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will be master over all the fruit of my labor for which I worked so wisely on earth! This also 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 I began to despair about all the fruit of my labor for which I worked so hard on earth. | 20So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. |
| 21For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; however, he must hand over the fruit of his labor as an inheritance to someone else who did not work for it. This also is futile, and an awful injustice! | 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. |
| 22What does a man acquire from all his labor and from the anxiety that accompanies his toil on earth? | 22What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? |
| 23For all day long his work produces pain and frustration, and even at night his mind cannot relax! This also is futile! | 23All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless. |
| 24There is nothing better for people than to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in their work. I also perceived that this ability to find enjoyment comes from 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 no one can eat and drink or experience joy apart from him. | 25for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? |
| 26For to the one who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner, he gives the task of amassing wealth--only to give it to the one who pleases God. This task of the wicked is futile--like chasing 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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