I tried cheering myself with wine,(A) and embracing folly(B)—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.

Read full chapter

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.

Read full chapter

(A)I searched in my heart how [a]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 (B)good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 2:3 Lit. to draw my flesh

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.

Read full chapter

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.

Read full chapter

10 Whatever 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 (A)this was my [a]reward from all my labor.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 2:10 Lit. portion

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;(A)
    nothing was gained under the sun.(B)

Read full chapter

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.

Read full chapter

11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done
And on the labor in which I had toiled;
And indeed all was (A)vanity and grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under the sun.

Read full chapter