Ecclesiastes 2 :: New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

The Futility of Pleasure and Possessions

(cf. 1Ki 4:20–28 )

I said^H559 [fn]to myself^H3820, “Come^H1980 now^H4994, I will test^H5254 you with pleasure^H8057. So [fn]enjoy^H7200^H2896 yourself.” And behold^H2009, it too^H1571 was futility^H1892.

Ecc 2:2

Ecc 2:2I said of laughter, “It is senseless,” and of pleasure, “What does this accomplish?”

Ecc 2:3

Ecc 2:3I explored with my [fn]mind how to refresh my body with wine while my [fn]mind was guiding me wisely; and how to seize foolishness, until I could see what good there is for the sons of mankind [fn]to do under heaven for the few [fn]years of their lives.

Ecc 2:4

Ecc 2:4I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself;

Ecc 2:5

Ecc 2:5I made gardens and parks for myself, and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees;

Ecc 2:6

Ecc 2:6I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees.

Ecc 2:7

Ecc 2:7I bought male and female slaves, and I had [fn]slaves born at home. I also possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem.

Ecc 2:8

Ecc 2:8I also amassed for myself silver and gold, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers, and the pleasures of the sons of mankind: many concubines.

Ecc 2:9

Then I became^H1431 great^H1431 and increased^H3254 more^H4480 than^H4480 all^H3605 who^H7945 preceded^H6440 me in Jerusalem^H3389. My wisdom^H2451 also^H637 stood^H5975 by me.

Ecc 2:10

Ecc 2:10All that my eyes desired, I did not refuse them. I did not restrain my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor; and this was my reward for all my labor.

Ecc 2:11

Ecc 2:11So I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had [fn]exerted, and behold, all was futility and striving after wind, and there was no benefit under the sun.

Wisdom Surpasses Foolishness

Ecc 2:12

So I turned^H6437 to consider^H7200 wisdom^H2451, insanity^H1947, and foolishness^H5531; for what^H4100 will the man^H120 do who^H7945 will come^H935 after^H310 the king^H4428, except what^H834 has already^H3528 been done^H6213?

Ecc 2:13

Ecc 2:13Then I saw that wisdom surpasses foolishness as light surpasses darkness.

Ecc 2:14

Ecc 2:14The wise person’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one and the same fate happens to [fn]both of them.

Ecc 2:15

Ecc 2:15Then I said [fn]to myself, “As is the fate of the fool, it will also happen to me. Why then have I been extremely wise?” So [fn]I said to myself, “This too is futility.”

Ecc 2:16

Ecc 2:16For there is no [fn]lasting remembrance of the wise, along with the fool, since in the coming days everything will [fn]soon be forgotten. And how the wise and the fool alike die!

Ecc 2:17

Ecc 2:17So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was [fn]unhappy to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.

The Futility of Labor

Ecc 2:18

So I hated^H8130 all^H3605 the fruit^H5999 of^H5999 my labor^H5999 for which^H7945 I had labored^H6001 under^H8478 the sun^H8121, because I must leave^H5117 it to the man^H120 who^H7945 will come^H1961 after^H310 me.

Ecc 2:19

Ecc 2:19And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is futility.

Ecc 2:20

Ecc 2:20Therefore I [fn]completely despaired over all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun.

Ecc 2:21

Ecc 2:21When there is a person who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and then gives his [fn]legacy to one who has not labored for it; this too is futility and a great evil.

Ecc 2:22

Ecc 2:22For what does a person get in all his labor and in [fn]his striving with which he labors under the sun?

Ecc 2:23

Ecc 2:23Because all his days his activity is painful and irritating; even at night his [fn]mind does not rest. This too is futility.

Ecc 2:24

There^H369 is^H369 nothing^H369 better^H2896 for a person^H120 than to eat^H398 and drink^H8354, and show^H7200 [fn]himself^H5315 some good^H2896 in his trouble^H5999. This^H2090 too^H1571 I have seen^H7200, that it is from the hand^H3027 of God^H430.

Ecc 2:25

Ecc 2:25For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without [fn]Him?

Ecc 2:26

Ecc 2:26For to a person who is good in His sight, He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is futility and striving after wind.

See the NASB20 Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

NASB20 Footnotes

(2:1)

Lit in my heart

(2:1)

Lit consider with goodness

Lit heart

Lit heart

Lit which they do

Lit days

Lit sons

Lit labored to do

Lit all of

Lit in my heart

Lit I spoke in my heart

Lit forever

Lit already

Lit evil

Lit turned aside my heart to despair

(2:21)

Lit share

(2:22)

Lit the striving of his heart

(2:23)

Lit heart

(2:24)

Lit his soul

(2:25)

As in LXX; Heb me

New American Standard Bible 2020
Copyright (c) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020
by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif.
All rights reserved
https://www.lockman.org/new-american-standard-bible-nasb/

The "NASB," "NAS," "New American Standard Bible," and "New American Standard" trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by The Lockman Foundation. Use of these trademarks requires the permission of The Lockman Foundation.

For Permission To Quote visit http://www.lockman.org

For more information on this translation, see the NASB20 Preface.