| Ecclesiastes 2 - Versions
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| Ecclesiastes 2 Text (WEB)
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- I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with mirth: therefore enjoy pleasure;" and behold, this also was vanity.
- I said of laughter, "It is foolishness;" and of mirth, "What does it accomplish?"
- I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives.
- I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.
- I made myself gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit.
- I made myself pools of water, to water from it the forest where trees were reared.
- I bought male servants and female servants, and had servants born in my house. I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all who were before me in Jerusalem;
- I also gathered silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men--musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
- So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
- Whatever my eyes desired, I didn't keep from them. I didn't withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor.
- Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and behold, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
- I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly: for what can the king's successor do? Just that which has been done long ago.
- Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.
- The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness--and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all.
- Then I said in my heart, "As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?" Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.
- For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory for ever, since in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool!
- So I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
- I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.
- Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
- Therefore I began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun.
- For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.
- For what has a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart, in which he labors under the sun?
- For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.
- There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.
- For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?
- For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
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| Ecclesiastes 2 Text (Hebrew)
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- אמרתי אני בלבי לכה־נא אנסכה בשמחה וראה בטוב והנה גם־הוא הבל׃
- לשחוק אמרתי מהולל ולשמחה מה־זה עשה׃
- תרתי בלבי למשוך ביין את־בשרי ולבי נהג בחכמה ולאחז בסכלות עד אשר־אראה אי־זה טוב לבני האדם אשר יעשו תחת השמים מספר ימי חייהם׃
- הגדלתי מעשי בניתי לי בתים נטעתי לי כרמים׃
- עשיתי לי גנות ופרדסים ונטעתי בהם עץ כל־פרי׃
- עשיתי לי ברכות מים להשקות מהם יער צומח עצים׃
- קניתי עבדים ושפחות ובני־בית היה לי גם מקנה בקר וצאן הרבה היה לי מכל שהיו לפני בירושלם׃
- כנסתי לי גם־כסף וזהב וסגלת מלכים והמדינות עשיתי לי שרים ושרות ותענוגת בני האדם שדה ושדות׃
- וגדלתי והוספתי מכל שהיה לפני בירושלם אף חכמתי עמדה לי׃
- וכל אשר שאלו עיני לא אצלתי מהם לא־מנעתי את־לבי מכל־שמחה כי־לבי שמח מכל־עמלי וזה־היה חלקי מכל־עמלי׃
- ופניתי אני בכל־מעשי שעשו ידי ובעמל שעמלתי לעשות והנה הכל הבל ורעות רוח ואין יתרון תחת השמש׃
- ופניתי אני לראות חכמה והוללות וסכלות כי מה האדם שיבוא אחרי המלך את אשר־כבר עשוהו׃
- וראיתי אני שיש יתרון לחכמה מן־הסכלות כיתרון האור מן־החשך׃
- החכם עיניו בראשו והכסיל בחשך הולך וידעתי גם־אני שמקרה אחד יקרה את־כלם׃
- ואמרתי אני בלבי כמקרה הכסיל גם־אני יקרני ולמה חכמתי אני אז יותר ודברתי בלבי שגם־זה הבל׃
- כי אין זכרון לחכם עם־הכסיל לעולם בשכבר הימים הבאים הכל נשכח ואיך ימות החכם עם־הכסיל׃
- ושנאתי את־החיים כי רע עלי המעשה שנעשה תחת השמש כי־הכל הבל ורעות רוח׃
- ושנאתי אני את־כל־עמלי שאני עמל תחת השמש שאניחנו לאדם שיהיה אחרי׃
- ומי יודע החכם יהיה או סכל וישלט בכל־עמלי שעמלתי ושחכמתי תחת השמש גם־זה הבל׃
- וסבותי אני ליאש את־לבי על כל־העמל שעמלתי תחת השמש׃
- כי־יש אדם שעמלו בחכמה ובדעת ובכשרון ולאדם שלא עמל־בו יתננו חלקו גם־זה הבל ורעה רבה׃
- כי מה־הוה לאדם בכל־עמלו וברעיון לבו שהוא עמל תחת השמש׃
- כי כל־ימיו מכאבים וכעס ענינו גם־בלילה לא־שכב לבו גם־זה הבל הוא׃
- אין־טוב באדם שיאכל ושתה והראה את־נפשו טוב בעמלו גם־זה ראיתי אני כי מיד האלהים היא׃
- כי מי יאכל ומי יחוש חוץ ממני׃
- כי לאדם שטוב לפניו נתן חכמה ודעת ושמחה ולחוטא נתן ענין לאסוף ולכנוס לתת לטוב לפני האלהים גם־זה הבל ורעות רוח׃
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| Ecclesiastes 2 Text (Latin)
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- Dixi ego in corde meo : Vadam, et affluam deliciis, et fruar bonis ; et vidi quod hoc quoque esset vanitas.
- Risum reputavi errorem, et gaudio dixi : Quid frustra deciperis ?
- Cogitavi in corde meo abstrahere a vino carnem meam, ut animam meam transferrem ad sapientiam, devitaremque stultitiam, donec viderem quid esset utile filiis hominum, quo facto opus est sub sole numero dierum vitæ suæ.
- Magnificavi opera mea, ædificavi mihi domos, et plantavi vineas ;
- feci hortos et pomaria, et consevi ea cuncti generis arboribus ;
- et exstruxi mihi piscinas aquarum, ut irrigarem silvam lignorum germinantium.
- Possedi servos et ancillas, multamque familiam habui : armenta quoque, et magnos ovium greges, ultra omnes qui fuerunt ante me in Jerusalem ;
- coacervavi mihi argentum et aurum, et substantias regum ac provinciarum ; feci mihi cantores et cantatrices, et delicias filiorum hominum, scyphos, et urceos in ministerio ad vina fundenda ;
- et supergressus sum opibus omnes qui ante me fuerunt in Jerusalem : sapientia quoque perseveravit mecum.
- Et omnia quæ desideraverunt oculi mei non negavi eis, nec prohibui cor meum quin omni voluptate frueretur, et oblectaret se in his quæ præparaveram ; et hanc ratus sum partem meam si uterer labore meo.
- Cumque me convertissem ad universa opera quæ fecerant manus meæ, et ad labores in quibus frustra sudaveram, vidi in omnibus vanitatem et afflictionem animi, et nihil permanere sub sole.
- Transivi ad contemplandam sapientiam, erroresque, et stultitiam. (Quid est, inquam, homo, ut sequi possit regem, factorem suum ?)
- Et vidi quod tantum præcederet sapientia stultitiam, quantum differt lux a tenebris.
- Sapientis oculi in capite ejus ; stultus in tenebris ambulat : et didici quod unus utriusque esset interitus.
- Et dixi in corde meo : Si unus et stulti et meus occasus erit, quid mihi prodest quod majorem sapientiæ dedi operam ? Locutusque cum mente mea, animadverti quod hoc quoque esset vanitas.
- Non enim erit memoria sapientis similiter ut stulti in perpetuum, et futura tempora oblivione cuncta pariter operient : moritur doctus similiter ut indoctus.
- Et idcirco tæduit me vitæ meæ, videntem mala universa esse sub sole, et cuncta vanitatem et afflictionem spiritus.
- Rursus detestatus sum omnem industriam meam, qua sub sole studiosissime laboravi, habiturus hæredem post me,
- quem ignoro utrum sapiens an stultus futurus sit, et dominabitur in laboribus meis, quibus desudavi et sollicitus fui : et est quidquam tam vanum ?
- Unde cessavi, renuntiavitque cor meum ultra laborare sub sole.
- Nam cum alius laboret in sapientia, et doctrina, et sollicitudine, homini otioso quæsita dimittit ; et hoc ergo vanitas et magnum malum.
- Quid enim proderit homini de universo labore suo, et afflictione spiritus, qua sub sole cruciatus est ?
- Cuncti dies ejus doloribus et ærumnis pleni sunt, nec per noctem mente requiescit. Et hoc nonne vanitas est ?
- Nonne melius est comedere et bibere, et ostendere animæ suæ bona de laboribus suis ? et hoc de manu Dei est.
- Quis ita devorabit et deliciis affluet ut ego ?
- Homini bono in conspectu suo dedit Deus sapientiam, et scientiam, et lætitiam ; peccatori autem dedit afflictionem et curam superfluam, ut addat, et congreget, et tradat ei qui placuit Deo ; sed et hoc vanitas est, et cassa sollicitudo mentis.
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| Ecclesiastes 2 Text (KJV)
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- I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
- I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
- 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.
- I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
- I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
- I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:
- 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:
- 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.
- So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.
- 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.
- For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?
- For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
- 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.
- For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?
- 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.
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