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Ecclesiastes 2:1-12 CEV
(1) I said to myself, "Have fun and enjoy yourself!" But this didn't make sense.
(2) Laughing and having fun is crazy. What good does it do?
(3) I wanted to find out what was best for us during the short time we have on this earth. So I decided to make myself happy with wine and find out what it means to be foolish, without really being foolish myself.
(4) I did some great things. I built houses and planted vineyards.
(5) I had flower gardens and orchards full of fruit trees.
(6) And I had pools where I could get water for the trees.
(7) I owned slaves, and their sons and daughters became my slaves. I had more sheep and goats than anyone who had ever lived in Jerusalem.
(8) Foreign rulers brought me silver, gold, and precious treasures. Men and women sang for me, and I had many wives who gave me great pleasure.
(9) I was the most famous person who had ever lived in Jerusalem, and I was very wise.
(10) I got whatever I wanted and did whatever made me happy. But most of all, I enjoyed my work.
(11) Then I thought about everything I had done, including the hard work, and it was simply chasing the wind. Nothing on earth is worth the trouble.
(12) I asked myself, "What can the next king do that I haven't done?" ...
Ecclesiastes 2:1-12 NWT
2 I said, even I, in my heart: "Do come now, let me try you out with rejoicing. Also, see good." And, look! that too was vanity. 2 I said to laughter: "Insanity!" and to rejoicing: "What is this doing?" 3 I explored with my heart by cheering my flesh even with wine, while I was leading my heart with wisdom, even to lay hold on folly until I could see what good there was to the sons of mankind in what they did under the heavens for the number of the days of their life. 4 I engaged in greater works. I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself. 5 I made gardens and parks for myself, and I planted in them fruit trees of all sorts. 6 I made pools of water for myself, to irrigate with them the forest, springing up with trees. 7 I acquired menservants and maidservants, and I came to have sons of the household. Also, livestock, cattle and flocks in great quantity I came to have, more so than all those who happened to be before me in Jerusalem. 8 I accumulated also silver and gold for myself, and property peculiar to kings and the jurisdictional districts. I made male singers and female singers for myself and the exquisite delights of the sons of mankind, a lady, even ladies. 9 And I became greater and increased more than anyone that happened to be before me in Jerusalem. Moreover, my own wisdom remained mine. 10 And anything that my eyes asked for I did not keep away from them. I did not hold back my heart from any sort of rejoicing, for my heart was joyful because of all my hard work, and this came to be my portion from all my hard work. 11 And I, even I, turned toward all the works of mine that my hands had done and toward the hard work that I had worked hard to accomplish, and, look! everything was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing of advantage under the sun. 12 And I, even I, turned to see wisdom and madness and folly; for what can the earthling man do who comes in after the king? The thing that people have already done.
Ecclesiastes 2:1-12 LITV
(1) I said in my heart, Come now, I will test you with mirth. Therefore, consider with goodness. And behold, this also is vanity.
(2) I said of laughter, It is madness, and of mirth, What does it do?
(3) I sought in my heart how to drag my flesh with wine, and leading my heart in wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, until I might see where the good for the sons of men is, that which they should do under the heavens the number of days of their life.
(4) I made my works great; I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself;
(5) I made gardens and parks for myself; and I planted trees in them of every fruit;
(6) I made pools of water for myself; to water from them the forest shooting forth trees;
(7) I bought slaves and slave girls, and the sons of the house were mine. Also livestock, a herd and a great flock were mine, above all that were before me in Jerusalem.
(8) I also gathered to me silver and gold, and the treasure of kings and of provinces. I made ready male singers and female singers for myself; and the delights of the sons of men, a concubine, and concubines.
(9) And I became great and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom stayed with me.
(10) And all that my eyes desired, I did not set aside from them. I withheld not my heart from all joy; for my heart rejoiced from all my labor; and this was my part from all my labor.
(11) Then I faced on all my works that my hands had done, and on the labor that I had labored to do. And, lo, all is vanity and striving after wind, and there is no profit under the sun.
(12) And I turned to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly. For what can a man do who comes after the king, when they have already done it?
Ecclesiastes 2:1-12 BBE
(1) I said in my heart, I will give you joy for a test; so take your pleasure--but it was to no purpose.
(2) Of laughing I said, It is foolish; and of joy--What use is it?
(3) I made a search with my heart to give pleasure to my flesh with wine, still guiding my heart with wisdom, and to go after foolish things, so that I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under the heavens all the days of their life.
(4) I undertook great works, building myself houses and planting vine-gardens.
(5) I made myself gardens and fruit gardens, planting in them fruit-trees of all sorts.
(6) I made pools to give water for the woods with their young trees.
(7) I got men-servants and women-servants, and they gave birth to sons and daughters in my house. I had great wealth of herds and flocks, more than all who were in Jerusalem before me.
(8) I got together silver and gold and the wealth of kings and of countries. I got makers of song, male and female; and the delights of the sons of men--girls of all sorts to be my brides.
(9) And I became great; increasing more than all who had been before me in Jerusalem, and my wisdom was still with me.
(10) And nothing which was desired by my eyes did I keep from them; I did not keep any joy from my heart, because my heart took pleasure in all my work, and this was my reward.
(11) Then I saw all the works which my hands had made, and everything I had been working to do; and I saw that all was to no purpose and desire for wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
(12) And I went again in search of wisdom and of foolish ways. What may the man do who comes after the king? The thing which he has done before.
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You will note the reference windows often include more than one translation of the Bible. The reason is to strive to gain the best possible understanding of the original Hebrew and Greek. Since we don't speak those languages, we rely on those who have come before and made the effort to translate those texts into English for us. Considering several translations gives the benefit of the understanding of several translation committees or individuals.
The Translations we quote are:
ALT - Analytical Literal Translation
ASV - American Standard Version (by the American revision committee in 1897).
Darby - 1889 Darby Bible
DRB - 1899 Douay-Rheims Bible
BBE - 1965 Bible in Basic English
LITV - Literal Translation of the Holy Bible
KJV - King James Version
MKJV - Modern King James Version
NWT - New World Translation
Webster - 1833 Webster Bible
RV - Revised Version
YLT - Young's Literal Translation