1I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity.[1] (Lu 12:19)2I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” (Pr 14:13)3I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. (Ec 1:17; Ec 7:25)4I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. (1Ki 7:1; So 8:11)5I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. (So 4:16; So 5:1)6I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees.7I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. (Ge 14:14; Ge 15:3; 1Ki 4:23)8I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines,[2] the delight of the sons of man. (2Sa 19:35; 1Ki 4:21; 1Ki 9:28; 1Ki 10:10; 1Ki 10:14; 1Ki 10:15; 1Ki 10:21; 1Ki 11:3; 1Ki 20:14; 2Ch 35:25; Eze 19:8)9So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. (1Ch 29:25; Ec 1:16)10And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. (Pr 8:31; Ec 3:22; Ec 5:18; Ec 9:9)11Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. (Ec 1:3; Ec 1:14)
The Vanity of Living Wisely
12So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. (Ec 1:9; Ec 1:17; Ec 7:25)13Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness.14The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. (Ps 49:10; Pr 17:24; Ec 3:19; Ec 9:2)15Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. (Ec 2:16; Ec 6:8)16For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! (Ec 1:11; Ec 2:14; Ec 9:5)17So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind. (Ec 2:11)
The Vanity of Toil
18I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, (Ps 39:6; Ps 49:10; Ec 1:3)19and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity.20So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, (Ec 1:3; Ec 7:25)21because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.22What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? (Ec 1:3)23For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity. (Job 5:7; Job 14:1; Ec 1:13)24There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment[3] in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, (Ec 3:12; Ec 3:13; Ec 3:22; Ec 5:18; Ec 5:19; Ec 8:15; Ec 9:7; Lu 12:19; 1Co 15:32; 1Ti 6:17)25for apart from him[4] who can eat or who can have enjoyment?26For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. (Job 27:16; Job 32:8; Pr 13:22; Ec 1:14; Ec 2:7)
1I said to myself, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.’ But that also proved to be meaningless.2‘Laughter,’ I said, ‘is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?’3I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly – 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.4I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards.5I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.6I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees.7I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me.8I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem[1] as well – the delights of a man’s heart.9I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.10I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labour, and this was the reward for all my toil.11Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.
Wisdom and folly are meaningless
12Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. What more can the king’s successor do than what has already been done?13I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness.14The wise have eyes in their heads, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realise that the same fate overtakes them both.15Then I said to myself, ‘The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?’ I said to myself, ‘This too is meaningless.’16For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered; the days have already come when both have been forgotten. Like the fool, the wise too must die!
Toil is meaningless
17So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.18I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.19And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless.20So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labour under the sun.21For a person may labour with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.22What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labour under the sun?23All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.24A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God,25for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?26To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
1I said to myself, ‘Come on. I’ll try out pleasure. I want to find out if it is good.’ But it also proved to be meaningless.2‘Laughter doesn’t make any sense,’ I said. ‘And what can pleasure do for me?’3I tried cheering myself up by drinking wine. I even tried living in a foolish way. But wisdom was still guiding my mind. I wanted to see what was good for people to do on earth during their short lives.4So I started some large projects. I built houses for myself. I planted vineyards.5I made gardens and parks. I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.6I made lakes to water groves of healthy trees.7I bought male and female slaves. And I had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem ever had before.8I stored up silver and gold for myself. I gathered up the treasures of kings and their kingdoms. I got some male and female singers. I also got many women for myself. Women delight the hearts of men.9I became far more important than anyone in Jerusalem had ever been before. And in spite of everything, I didn’t lose my wisdom.10I gave myself everything my eyes wanted. There wasn’t any pleasure that I refused to give myself. I took delight in everything I did. And that was what I got for all my work.11But then I looked over everything my hands had done. I saw what I had worked so hard to get. And nothing had any meaning. It was like chasing the wind. Nothing was gained on this earth.
Wisdom and foolish pleasure are meaningless
12I decided to think about wisdom. I also thought about foolish pleasure. What more can a new king do? Can he do anything more than others have already done?13I saw that wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness.14The eyes of a wise person see things clearly. A person who is foolish lives in darkness. But I finally realised that death catches up with both of them.15Then I said to myself, ‘What happens to a foolish person will catch up with me too. So what do I gain by being wise?’ I said to myself, ‘That doesn’t have any meaning either.’16Like a foolish person, a wise person won’t be remembered very long. The days have already come when both of them have been forgotten. Like a person who is foolish, a wise person must die too!
Work is meaningless
17So I hated life. That’s because the work done on this earth made me sad. None of it has any meaning. It’s like chasing the wind.18I hated everything I had worked for on earth. I’ll have to leave all of it to someone who lives after me.19And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Either way, they’ll take over everything on earth I’ve worked so hard for. That doesn’t have any meaning either.20So I began to lose hope because of all my hard work on this earth.21A person might use wisdom, knowledge and skill to do their work. But then they have to leave everything they own to someone who hasn’t worked for it. That doesn’t have any meaning either. In fact, it isn’t fair.22What do people get for all their hard work on earth? What do they get for all their worries?23As long as they live, their work is nothing but pain and sorrow. Even at night their minds can’t rest. That doesn’t have any meaning either.24A person can’t do anything better than eat, drink and be satisfied with their work. I’m finally seeing that those things also come from the hand of God.25Without his help, who can eat or find pleasure?26God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness to the person who pleases him. But to a sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth. Then the sinner must hand it over to the one who pleases God. That doesn’t have any meaning either. It’s like chasing the wind.
Ecclesiastes 2
King James Version
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' 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.
3Ich trieb meine Forschung an mir selbst, indem ich meinen Leib mit Wein lockte, während mein Verstand das Wissen auf die Weide führte, und indem ich das Unwissen gefangen nahm. Ich wollte dabei beobachten, wo es vielleicht für die einzelnen Menschen möglich ist, sich unter dem Himmel Glück zu verschaffen während der wenigen Tage ihres Lebens. (Ps 104:15; Ec 2:1; Sir 31:25)4Ich vollbrachte meine großen Taten:
Ich baute mir Häuser, / ich pflanzte mir Weinberge. (Ge 2:8; 1Ki 7:1; 2Ch 8:6; So 8:11)5Ich legte mir Gärten und Parks an, / darin pflanzte ich alle Arten von Bäumen. (Ge 1:11; Ge 2:8; Ne 2:8; So 4:13)6Ich legte mir Wasserbecken an, / um aus ihnen den sprossenden Baumbestand zu bewässern. (Ne 2:14)7Ich kaufte Sklaven und Sklavinnen, / obwohl ich schon hausgeborene Sklaven besaß.
Auch Vieh besaß ich in großer Zahl, Rinder, Schafe, Ziegen, / mehr als alle meine Vorgänger in Jerusalem. (1Ki 5:3; 1Ki 8:63; 1Ki 10:5; 1Ki 10:23)8Ich häufte mir auch Silber und Gold an / und, als meinen persönlichen Schatz, Könige / und ihre Provinzen.
Ich besorgte mir Sänger und Sängerinnen und die Lust der Männer: Brüste und nochmals Brüste. (2Sa 19:36; 1Ki 5:1; 1Ki 10:21; 1Ki 11:1; 1Ki 11:3; Es 2:1; Ec 9:7; So 6:8; So 8:11)9Ich war schon groß gewesen, doch ich gewann noch mehr hinzu, sodass ich alle meine Vorgänger in Jerusalem übertraf. Und noch mehr: Mein Wissen stand mir zur Verfügung, (1Ki 5:9; 1Ki 10:23; Ec 1:16)10und was immer meine Augen sich wünschten, verwehrte ich ihnen nicht. Ich musste meinem Herzen keine einzige Freude versagen. Denn mein Herz konnte immer durch meinen ganzen Besitz Freude gewinnen. Und das war mein Anteil, den ich durch meinen ganzen Besitz gewinnen konnte. (Ec 2:1; Ec 3:12; Ec 5:17; Ec 8:15; Ec 9:6; Ec 11:7)11Doch dann dachte ich nach über alle meine Taten, die, die meine Hände vollbracht hatten, und über den Besitz, für den ich mich bei diesem Tun angestrengt hatte. Das Ergebnis: Das ist alles Windhauch und Luftgespinst. Es gibt keinen Vorteil unter der Sonne. (Ec 1:3)
Bildung und Besitz in ihrer Bedingtheit
12Ich dachte nach, indem ich beobachtete, was Wissen wirklich ist und was Verblendung und Unwissen wirklich sind. Außerdem: Was für ein Mann wird auf den König folgen, den sie einst eingesetzt haben? (1Ki 12:1; Ec 1:17; Ec 7:25)13Ich beobachtete: Es gibt einen Vorteil, den das Wissen bietet, aber nicht das Unwissen, wie es einen Vorteil gibt, den das Licht bietet, aber nicht die Dunkelheit: (Ec 6:8; Wis 7:1)14Der Gebildete hat Augen im Kopf, der Ungebildete tappt im Dunkeln.
Aber ich erkannte auch: Beide trifft ein und dasselbe Geschick. (Job 9:22; Pr 4:18; Ec 3:19; Ec 8:1; Ec 9:2; Ec 10:2; Da 5:11; Wis 7:10)15Da dachte ich mir: Was den Ungebildeten trifft, trifft also auch mich. Warum bin ich dann über die Maßen gebildet? Und ich überlegte mir, dass auch das Windhauch ist. (Ec 7:16)16Denn an den Gebildeten gibt es ebenso wenig wie an den Ungebildeten eine Erinnerung, die ewig währt, weil man schon in den Tagen, die bald kommen, beide vergessen wird. Wie ist es möglich, dass der Gebildete ebenso sterben muss wie der Ungebildete? (Ps 49:11; Ec 1:11; Ec 9:5; Wis 2:4; Sir 10:10; Sir 39:9; Sir 41:11)17Da verdross mich das Leben. Denn das Tun, das unter der Sonne getan wurde, lastete auf mir als etwas Schlimmes. Denn es ist alles Windhauch und Luftgespinst. (Ec 5:12; Ec 6:1)18Mich verdross auch mein ganzer Besitz, für den ich mich unter der Sonne anstrenge und den ich dem Menschen überlassen muss, der nach mir kommt. (1Ki 12:1; Job 31:8; Ps 39:7; Ps 49:17; Ec 2:2; Ec 6:1; Sir 14:15)19Wer weiß, ob er ein Wissender ist oder ein Unwissender? Jedenfalls wird er über meinen ganzen Besitz verfügen, für den ich mich unter der Sonne angestrengt und mein Wissen eingesetzt habe. Auch das ist Windhauch. (Sir 47:23)20Ich stellte mich um und überließ mich der Verzweiflung über meinen ganzen Besitz, für den ich mich unter der Sonne angestrengt hatte.21Denn es kommt vor, dass ein Mensch, dessen Besitz durch Wissen, Können und Erfolg erworben wurde, ihn einem andern, der sich nicht dafür angestrengt hat, als dessen Anteil überlassen muss. Auch das ist Windhauch und etwas Schlimmes, das häufig vorkommt. (Ec 6:2; Sir 11:18)22Was erhält der Mensch dann durch seinen ganzen Besitz und durch das Gespinst seines Geistes, für die er sich unter der Sonne anstrengt? (Ec 1:3)23Alle Tage besteht sein Geschäft nur aus Sorge und Ärger und selbst in der Nacht kommt sein Geist nicht zur Ruhe. Auch das ist Windhauch. (Job 7:1; Ec 1:18; Ec 5:16; Ec 8:16; Ec 11:10; Isa 28:12; Mt 11:28; Sir 40:5)
Gottes Handeln in seiner Vollkommenheit und Undurchschaubarkeit
24Nicht im Menschen selbst gründet das Glück, dass er essen und trinken und durch seinen Besitz das Glück selbst kennenlernen kann. Ich habe vielmehr beobachtet, dass dies von Gottes Verfügung abhängt. (1Ki 4:20; Ec 2:10; Wis 1:16; Sir 14:11)25Denn wer hat zu essen, wer weiß zu genießen, wenn nicht ich? (Ec 9:1)26Ja, es gibt Menschen, denen Gott wohl will. Es sind die, denen er Wissen, Können und Freude geschenkt hat. Und es gibt Menschen, deren Leben verfehlt ist. Es sind diejenigen, die er mit dem Geschäft beauftragt hat, zu sammeln und zu horten und dann alles denen zu geben, denen er wohl will. Auch das ist Windhauch und Luftgespinst. (Job 27:16; Pr 13:22; Pr 28:8; Ec 7:26)