| New King James Version | English Standard Version |
| 1I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, this also was vanity. | 1I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. |
| 2I said of laughter—“Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?” | 2I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” |
| 3I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives. | 3I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. |
| 4I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. | 4I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. |
| 5I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. | 5I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. |
| 6I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove. | 6I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. |
| 7I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. | 7I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. |
| 8I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds. | 8I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man. |
| 9So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. | 9So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. |
| 10Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor. | 10And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. |
| 11Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun. | 11Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. |
| 12Then I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly; For what can the man do who succeeds the king?— Only what he has already done. | 12So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. |
| 13Then I saw that wisdom excels folly As light excels darkness. | 13Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. |
| 14The wise man’s eyes are in his head, But the fool walks in darkness. Yet I myself perceived That the same event happens to them all. | 14The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. |
| 15So I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, It also happens to me, And why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart, “This also is vanity.” | 15Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. |
| 16For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come. And how does a wise man die? As the fool! | 16For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! |
| 17Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind. | 17So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind. |
| 18Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. | 18I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, |
| 19And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. | 19and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. |
| 20Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun. | 20So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, |
| 21For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. | 21because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. |
| 22For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? | 22What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? |
| 23For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity. | 23For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity. |
| 24Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God. | 24There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, |
| 25For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? | 25for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? |
| 26For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind. | 26For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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