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Ecclesiastes 2
Expanded Bible
Ecclesiastes 2
Expanded Bible
Does “Having Fun” Bring Happiness?
2 I said ·to myself [L in my heart], “·I will try having fun [L Come now, I will test you with pleasure]. I will ·enjoy myself [experience the good life; L see good].” ·But I found that [L Behold] this is also useless [1:2]. 2 I thought, “It is ·foolish [mad; crazy; insane] to laugh, and ·having fun [pleasure] ·doesn’t accomplish anything [L what can it do…?].” 3 I ·decided [L explored with my heart] to cheer ·myself up [L my body/flesh] with wine and embrace folly while my mind was ·still thinking wisely [guided by wisdom]. I wanted to see what was good for people to do ·on earth [L under heaven; 1:3] during their few days of life.
Does Hard Work Bring Happiness?
4 Then I did great things: I built houses and planted vineyards for myself [1 Kin. 7:1–12; 9:15; 2 Chr. 8:1–6]. 5 I made gardens and parks, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made pools of water for myself and used them to water my ·growing [flourishing forest of] trees. 7 I ·bought [acquired] male and female slaves, and slaves were also born in my house. I had large herds and flocks, more than anyone in Jerusalem had ever had before. 8 I also gathered silver and gold for myself, treasures ·from [or of] kings and ·other areas [provinces; 1 Kin. 10:14–25; 2 Chr. 9:27]. I had male and female singers and ·all the women a man could ever want [L many concubines—the pleasure of men]. 9 I ·became very famous, even greater than [surpassed] anyone who had lived in Jerusalem before me. My wisdom ·helped me in all this [L stayed with me].
10 Anything ·I saw and wanted [L my eyes requested], I ·got for [L did not refuse] myself;
I did not ·miss [L deny my heart] any pleasure I desired.
·I [L My heart] was pleased with everything I did,
and this pleasure was the reward for all my ·hard work [toil].
11 But then I ·looked at [turned my attention to] what I had done,
and I thought about all the ·hard work [toil].
Suddenly I realized it was useless [1:2], like chasing the wind.
There is ·nothing to gain [no profit/advantage] from anything we do ·here on earth [L under the sun; 1:3].
Maybe Wisdom Is the Answer
12 Then I ·began to think again about being wise,
and also about being foolish and doing crazy things [L turned my attention to observe wisdom and mad folly].
After all, what more can anyone who comes after the king do?
He can’t do more than what the king has already done [C If the king couldn’t find meaning in life, then no one could].
13 I saw that ·being wise is certainly better than being foolish [L there was more profit in wisdom than folly],
just as light is ·better [more profitable] than darkness.
14 Wise people ·see where they are going [L have eyes in their head],
but fools walk around in the dark.
Yet I know that
both wise and foolish ·people end the same way [L have the same fate; C death].
15 I ·thought to myself [L said in my heart],
“·What happens to a fool will happen to me [L The fate of the fool is my fate], too,
so ·what is the reward for being [L why have I become so] wise?”
I said to myself,
“·Being wise [L This] is also useless [1:2].”
16 No one will remember the wise or the fool for long.
·In the future, [L The days will come only too soon when] both will be forgotten.
How will the wise person die?
Like the fool?
Is There Real Happiness in Life?
17 So I hated life. ·It made me sad to think that everything [L For evil is the work that is done] ·here on earth [L under the sun; 1:3] is useless [1:2], like chasing the wind. 18 I hated all the things I had ·worked [toiled] for ·here on earth [L under the sun; 1:3], because I must leave them to someone who will live after me. 19 Someone else will control everything for which I ·worked so hard [toiled so wisely] ·here on earth [L under the sun; 1:3], and ·I don’t know [L who knows…?] if he will be wise or foolish. This is also useless [1:2]. 20 So I ·became sad [despaired; L caused my heart to despair] about all the ·hard work [toil] I had done ·here on earth [L under the sun; 1:3]. 21 People can work hard using all their wisdom, knowledge, and ·skill [success], but they will ·die, and other people will get the things for which they worked [L leave their reward to others]. They did not do the work, but they will get everything. This is ·also unfair [a great evil] and useless [1:2]. 22 What do people get for all their ·work [toil] and ·struggling [anxiety] ·here on earth [L under the sun; 1:3]? 23 All of their ·lives [L days] their work is full of pain and ·sorrow [frustration], and even at night their ·minds [L hearts] don’t ·rest [L lie down]. This is also useless [1:2].
24 ·The best that people can do is [L There is nothing better for people than to] eat, drink, and enjoy their ·work [toil]. I saw that even this comes from God, 25 because ·no one [L who…?] can eat or ·enjoy life [or worry] without him. 26 If people please God, God will give them wisdom, knowledge, and ·joy [pleasure]. But ·sinners [or people who offend; C offend God] will get only the work of gathering wealth that they will have to give to the ones who please God. So all their work is useless [1:2], like chasing the wind [3:12–14, 22; 5:18–20; 8:15; 9:7–10; C the little pleasures are distractions from the meaningless world].
Ecclesiastes 2
New International Version
Ecclesiastes 2
New International Version
Pleasures Are Meaningless
2 I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure(A) to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. 2 “Laughter,”(B) I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” 3 I tried cheering myself with wine,(C) and embracing folly(D)—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.
4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself(E) and planted vineyards.(F) 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves(G) who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold(H) for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces.(I) I acquired male and female singers,(J) and a harem[a] as well—the delights of a man’s heart. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem(K) before me.(L) In all this my wisdom stayed with me.
10 I 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.
11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;(M)
nothing was gained under the sun.(N)
Wisdom and Folly Are Meaningless
12 Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom,
and also madness and folly.(O)
What more can the king’s successor do
than what has already been done?(P)
13 I saw that wisdom(Q) is better than folly,(R)
just as light is better than darkness.
14 The 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.(S)
15 Then I said to myself,
“The fate of the fool will overtake me also.
What then do I gain by being wise?”(T)
I said to myself,
“This too is meaningless.”
16 For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered;(U)
the days have already come when both have been forgotten.(V)
Like the fool, the wise too must die!(W)
Toil Is Meaningless
17 So 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.(X) 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.(Y) 19 And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish?(Z) 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. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For 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. 22 What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun?(AA) 23 All their days their work is grief and pain;(AB) even at night their minds do not rest.(AC) This too is meaningless.
24 A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink(AD) and find satisfaction in their own toil.(AE) This too, I see, is from the hand of God,(AF) 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?(AG) 26 To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom,(AH) knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth(AI) to hand it over to the one who pleases God.(AJ) This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 2:8 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
Ecclesiastes 2
King James Version
Ecclesiastes 2
King James Version
2 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
3 I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:
7 I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
12 And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.
13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
14 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.
15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.
16 For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.
17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
18 Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.
20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.
21 For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?
23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
24 There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.
25 For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?
26 For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Expanded Bible (EXB)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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