Ecclesiastes 2

Ecclesiastes · Chapter 2

Ecclesiastes 2:11

1I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.2I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?3I 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.4I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:5I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:6I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:7I 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:8I 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.9So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.10And 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.11Then 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.12And 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.13Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.14The 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.15Then 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.16For 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.17Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.18Yea, 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.19And 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.20Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.21For 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.22For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?23For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.24There 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.25For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?26For 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.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
11Then 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.Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun.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.

In context

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Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and I turnedוּפָנִ֣יתִֽיu-fa-NI-tiH6437G
to turn

פָּנָה (pa.nah) 1) to turn 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to turn toward or from or away 1a2) to turn and do 1a3) to turn, decline (of day) 1a4) to turn toward, approach (of evening) 1a5) to turn and look, look, look back or at or after or for 1b) (Piel) to turn away, put out of the way, make clear, clear away 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to turn 1c2) to make a turn, show signs of turning, turn back 1d) (Hophal) to be turned back

Iאֲנִ֗י'a-NIH0589
me

אֲנָא (a.na) I (first pers. sing. -usually used for emphasis) Aramaic of a.ni (אֲנִי, אָֽנֹכִ֫י "I" H0589)

on allבְּכָל־be-kholH3605
all

כֹּל (kol) 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

works myמַעֲשַׂי֙ma-'a-SAIH4639G
deed: work

מַעֲשֶׂה (ma.a.seh) : work/product 1) deed, work 1a) deed, thing done, act 1b) work, labour 1c) business, pursuit 1d) undertaking, enterprise 1e) achievement 1f) deeds, works (of deliverance and judgment) 1g) work, thing made 1h) work (of God) 1i) product

that they had doneשֶֽׁעָשׂ֣וּshe-'a-SUH6213A
to make: do

עָשָׂה (a.sah) : do/perform 1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to do, work, make, produce 1a1a) to do 1a1b) to work 1a1c) to deal (with) 1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect 1a2) to make 1a2a) to make 1a2b) to produce 1a2c) to prepare 1a2d) to make (an offering) 1a2e) to attend to, put in order 1a2f) to observe, celebrate 1a2g) to acquire (property) 1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute 1a2i) to bring about 1a2j) to use 1a2k) to spend, pass 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be done 1b2) to be made 1b3) to be produced 1b4) to be offered 1b5) to be observed 1b6) to be used 1c) (Pual) to be made

hands myיָדַ֔יya-DAIH3027G
hand

יָד (yad) : hand/arm[anatomy] 1) hand 1a) hand (of man) 1b) strength, power (fig.) 1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.) 1d) (various special, technical senses) 1d1) sign, monument 1d2) part, fractional part, share 1d3) time, repetition 1d4) axle-trees, axle 1d5) stays, support (for laver) 1d6) tenons (in tabernacle) 1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure) 1d8) wrists

and on the toilוּבֶֽעָמָ֖לu-ve-'a-MALH5999
trouble

עָמָל (a.mal) 1) toil, trouble, labour 1a) trouble 1b) trouble, mischief 1c) toil, labour

that I had toiledשֶׁעָמַ֣לְתִּיshe-'a-MAL-tiH5998
to toil

עָמַל (a.mal) 1) to labour, toil 1a) (Qal) to labour

to doלַעֲשׂ֑וֹתla-'a-SOTH6213A
to make: do

עָשָׂה (a.sah) : do/perform 1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to do, work, make, produce 1a1a) to do 1a1b) to work 1a1c) to deal (with) 1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect 1a2) to make 1a2a) to make 1a2b) to produce 1a2c) to prepare 1a2d) to make (an offering) 1a2e) to attend to, put in order 1a2f) to observe, celebrate 1a2g) to acquire (property) 1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute 1a2i) to bring about 1a2j) to use 1a2k) to spend, pass 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be done 1b2) to be made 1b3) to be produced 1b4) to be offered 1b5) to be observed 1b6) to be used 1c) (Pual) to be made

and there!וְהִנֵּ֨הve-hi-NEHH2009
behold

הִנֵּה (hin.neh) behold, lo, see, if

the everythingהַכֹּ֥לha-KOLH3605
all

כֹּל (kol) 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

[was] futilityהֶ֙בֶל֙he-velH1892
vanity

הֶ֫בֶל (he.vel) 1) vapour, breath 1a) breath, vapour 1b) vanity (fig.) adv 2) vainly

and striving ofוּרְע֣וּתu-re-'UTH7469
longing

רְעוּת (re.ut) longing, striving Aramaic equivalent: re.ut (רְעוּ "pleasure" H7470)

windר֔וּחַRU-achH7307H
spirit

רוּחַ (ru.ach) : spirit 1) wind, breath, mind, spirit 1a) breath 1b) wind 1b1) of heaven 1b2) quarter (of wind), side 1b3) breath of air 1b4) air, gas 1b5) vain, empty thing 1c) spirit (as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation) 1c1) spirit, animation, vivacity, vigour 1c2) courage 1c3) temper, anger 1c4) impatience, patience 1c5) spirit, disposition (as troubled, bitter, discontented) 1c6) disposition (of various kinds), unaccountable or uncontrollable impulse 1c7) prophetic spirit 1d) spirit (of the living, breathing being in man and animals) …

and there notוְאֵ֥יןve-'EINH0369
nothing

אַ֫יִן (a.yin) 1) nothing, not, nought n 1a) nothing, nought neg 1b) not 1c) to have not (of possession) adv 1d) without w/prep 1e) for lack of

[was] profitיִתְר֖וֹןyit-RONH3504
advantage

יִתְרוֹן (yit.ron) advantage, profit, excellency

underתַּ֥חַתTA-chatH8478G
under

תְּחוֹת (te.chot) under Aramaic of ta.chat (תַּחַת ": under" H8478)

the sunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha-SHA-meshH8121
to minister

שְׁמַשׁ (she.mash) (Pael) to minister, serve Aramaic of she.mesh (שֶׁ֫מֶשׁ "sun" H8121)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.