Ecclesiastes 2

Ecclesiastes · Chapter 2

Ecclesiastes 2:16

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
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.For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, just as with the fool, seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come. Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool!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!

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
forכִּי֩kiH3588A
for

כִּי (ki) 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

there notאֵ֨ין'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

[is] remembranceזִכְר֧וֹןzikh-RONH2146
record

דִּכְרוֹן (dikh.ron) record, memorandum Aramaic of zikh.ron (זִכָּרוֹן "memorial" H2146)

of the wise manלֶחָכָ֛םle-cha-KHAMH2450
wise

חָכָם (cha.kham) 1) wise, wise (man) 1a) skilful (in technical work) 1b) wise (in administration) 1c) shrewd, crafty, cunning, wily, subtle 1d) learned, shrewd (class of men) 1e) prudent 1f) wise (ethically and religiously)

withעִֽם־'im-H5973A
with

עִם (im) 1) with 1a) with 1b) against 1c) toward 1d) as long as

the foolהַכְּסִ֖ילha-ke-SILH3684
fool

כְּסִיל (ke.sil) fool, stupid fellow, dullard, simpleton, arrogant one

for a long timeלְעוֹלָ֑םle-'o-LAMH5769G
forever: enduring

עוֹלָם (o.lam) : enduring/eternal 1) long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world 1a) ancient time, long time (of past) 1b) (of future) 1b1) for ever, always 1b2) continuous existence, perpetual 1b3) everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity

in that alreadyבְּשֶׁכְּבָ֞רbe-she-ke-VARH3528
already

כְּבָר (ke.var) already, long ago, a great while

the daysהַיָּמִ֤יםhai-ya-MIMH3117G
day

יוֹם (yom) : day/when/time/period 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time 1b2a) a working day, a day's journey 1c) days, lifetime (pl.) 1d) time, period (general) 1e) year 1f) temporal references 1f1) today 1f2) yesterday 1f3) tomorrow

the comingהַבָּאִים֙ha-ba-'IMH0935G
to come (in): come

בּוֹא (bo) : come/go_in 1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to enter, come in 1a2) to come 1a2a) to come with 1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy) 1a2c) to come to pass 1a3) to attain to 1a4) to be enumerated 1a5) to go 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to lead in 1b2) to carry in 1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon 1b4) to bring to pass 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be brought, brought in 1c2) to be introduced, be put

the everythingהַכֹּ֣לha-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)

it has been forgottenנִשְׁכָּ֔חnish-KACHH7911
to forget

שָׁכַח (sha.khach) 1) to forget, ignore, wither 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to forget 1a2) to cease to care 1b) (Niphal) to be forgotten 1c) (Piel) to cause to forget 1d) (Hiphil) to make or cause to forget 1e) (Hithpael) to be forgotten Aramaic equivalent: she.khach (שְׁכַח "to find" H7912)

and how!וְאֵ֛יךְve-'EIKHH0349A
how?

אֵיךְ (ekh) interrog adv how?

he will dieיָמ֥וּתya-MUTH4191
to die

מוּת (mut) 1) to die, kill, have one executed 1a)(Qal) 1a1) to die 1a2) to die (as penalty), be put to death 1a3) to die, perish (of a nation) 1a4) to die prematurely (by neglect of wise moral conduct) 1b) (Polel) to kill, put to death, dispatch 1c) (Hiphil) to kill, put to death 1d) (Hophal) 1d1) to be killed, be put to death 1d1a) to die prematurely

the wise [person]הֶחָכָ֖םhe-cha-KHAMH2450
wise

חָכָם (cha.kham) 1) wise, wise (man) 1a) skilful (in technical work) 1b) wise (in administration) 1c) shrewd, crafty, cunning, wily, subtle 1d) learned, shrewd (class of men) 1e) prudent 1f) wise (ethically and religiously)

withעִֽם־'im-H5973A
with

עִם (im) 1) with 1a) with 1b) against 1c) toward 1d) as long as

the foolהַכְּסִֽיל׃ha-ke-SILH3684
fool

כְּסִיל (ke.sil) fool, stupid fellow, dullard, simpleton, arrogant one

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