| Ward Green Version, 2020 | American Standard Version, 1901 |
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© 2008-2011 Ward Green. All rights reserved.
Ecclesiastes 02 1So said I to myself in my heart: ``Come, enjoy" 1``See good,'' but these vanity came to destroy 2I took as ``Insanity'' laughter's estate 2And as for rejoicing: ``What does it create?'' 3I searched in my heart how to bring cheer with wine 3While steering my heart into wisdom divine 4To lay hold on folly I took men to mind 4Their future days best under heaven to find 5Great works did I do, building houses aspree 5Also vineyards, and gardens and parks with fruit tree 6I made pools of water, to irrigate well 6The forest wherein many trees came to dwell 7Of menservants, maidservants I had to own 7Such servants were born in my house it is known 7I had great possessions of herds and of flocks 7Surpassing the whole of Jerusalem's stocks 8I gathered before me of silver, of gold 8The treasure of Kings and of Province, of wold 8I made myself singers of women and men 8Delights of mankind, and of ladies amen 9And so I was great and accomplished much more 9Than all of Jerusalem living before 9Much more than this city that I could define 9Yet all of my wisdom in fact remained mine 10From my eyes I did not withhold what they sought 10In what I held back from my heart joys were nought 10My heart it rejoiced in my work as in art 10Though this was from all of my labour my part 11I looked on the works that my hands had now wrought 11And all of the works I had made and had sought 11Like vanity, chasing the wind was the same 11For under the sun all to nothing now came 12For all, wisdom, madness and folly were one 12All works of the King had already been done 13Still better than folly is wisdom divine 13As light is to darkness where light does outshine 14The wise perceives all and the fool walks in blind 14Yet both remain destined the same end to find 15I said in my heart like a fool came to be 15Just so will it happen the same way to me 15So what was the reason I had become wise? 16I said in my heart: ``What a useless surprise!'' 16The memory of wise and of foolish in name 16Will both have remembrance forever the same 16Long are they forgotten by future reports 16And dying the same as all men of all sorts 17Despised life, where work under heaven is grief! 17So all is in vain, chasing wind, disbelief 18I hated my labours which under the sun 18To one after me I would pass in this run 19Yet who is there knowing the wise or the fool? 19Such one will control all my labour or school 19Wherein I have shown myself wise under fire 19Yet all comes to vanity once again dire 20So turning I now caused my heart to despair 20For I worked hard under the sun-- just for air! 21A man who works wisely with knowledge and skill 21Leaves all to a man who works not for it still 21And vanity also is this which is shown 21So clearly to me a great evil is known 22What comes to a man now for all of his strife 22While under the sun he gives heart to his life? 23His days filled with sadness, his work full of grief 23And vainly at night may his heart get relief 24Here nothing is better than food or than drink 24His soul may enjoy on his labour to think 24And this is the thing that I also have found 24This from the true hand of the true God inbound: 25For who can be eating and who can bear fun 25Yes more so than I can bear under the sun? 26From God: wisdom, knowledge and joy are a lift 26And these to the man pleasing God are a gift 26The sinner works hard just to gather up gain 26To give to the man pleasing God in his pain 26So this is the way of this vain life I say 26Just striving for nought chasing wind every day © 2008-2011 Ward Green. All rights reserved. Modified Jun 25, 2020 by Ward Green |
Ecclesiastes 2 1 I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also was vanity. Ecclesiastes 2 2 I said of laughter, It is mad; and of mirth, What doeth it? Ecclesiastes 2 3 I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding [me] with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their life. Ecclesiastes 2 4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards; Ecclesiastes 2 5 I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit; Ecclesiastes 2 6 I made me pools of water, to water therefrom the forest where trees were reared; Ecclesiastes 2 7 I bought men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that were before me in Jerusalem; Ecclesiastes 2 8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces; I gat me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, musical instruments, and that of all sorts. Ecclesiastes 2 9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. Ecclesiastes 2 10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor; and this was my portion from all my labor. Ecclesiastes 2 11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2 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 done long ago. Ecclesiastes 2 13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness. Ecclesiastes 2 14 The wise man`s eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness: and yet I perceived that one event happeneth to them all. Ecclesiastes 2 15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then said I in my heart, that this also is vanity. Ecclesiastes 2 16 For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. And how doth the wise man die even as the fool! Ecclesiastes 2 17 So I hated life, because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind. Ecclesiastes 2 18 And I hated all my labor wherein I labored under the sun, seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me. Ecclesiastes 2 19 And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he have rule over all my labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. Ecclesiastes 2 20 Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor wherein I had labored under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2 21 For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skilfulness; yet to a man that hath not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil. Ecclesiastes 2 22 For what hath a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he laboreth under the sun? Ecclesiastes 2 23 For all his days are [but] sorrows, and his travail is grief; yea, even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity. Ecclesiastes 2 24 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. Ecclesiastes 2 25 For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? Ecclesiastes 2 26 For to the man that pleaseth him [God] giveth 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 pleaseth God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. |