Self-interpreting Bible
Ecclesiastes 2
1The vanity which the Preacher found in the pursuits of pleasure. 12Wisdom excelleth folly, yet a like event happeneth to both. 18The vanity of human labour, the fruit of which must soon be left to a man knoweth not whom. 24Nothing better than a cheerful use of what a man hath gotten; but that is the gift of God to the good only.
1 I aSAID in mine heart, Go to now, bI will *prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
2 I csaid of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
- c: Am. 6:3 , Am. 6:6 , Pr. 14:13 , Ec. 7:2 - 6
3 dI sought in mine heart to 1give myself unto wine, yet eacquainting 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 2the days of their life.
- d: Pr. 20:1 , 1Sa. 25:36 , Ec. 1:17
- 1: Heb. draw my flesh with wine.
- e: 1Ki. 18:21 , Mat. 6:24 , Ec. 2:9
- 2: Heb. the number of the days of their life.
4 fI made me great works; gI builded me houses; hI planted me vineyards:
- f: Ge. 11:4 , Da. 4:30
- g: 1Ki. 7:1 - 12 , 1Ki. 9:1 , 1Ki. 9:15 - 19 , Ps. 49:11 , Job 21:21
- h: Ca. 1:14 , Ca. 8:11 , Ca. 7:12
5 iI made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
- i: Je. 39:4 , 1Ki. 4:33 , Ca. 4:12 - 16 , Ca. 5:1 , Ca. 6:2
6 jI made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:
7 kI got me servants and maidens, and had 3servants born in my house; lalso I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
8 mI gathered me also silver and gold, and the *peculiar treasure of kings and of the nprovinces: oI *gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as 4musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
- m: 1Ki. 9:14 , 1Ki. 9:28 , 1Ki. 10:10 , 1Ki. 10:14 , 1Ki. 10:21 , 1Ki. 10:22 , 1Ki. 10:27
- *: peculiar-one's own property. , gat-got.
- n: 1Ki. 20:14
- o: 2Sa. 19:35 , Ezr. 2:65
- 4: Heb. musical instrument and instruments, Am. 6.5. 2Ch. 9.11. , Am. 6:5 , 2Ch. 9:11
9 So pI was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also qmy wisdom remained with me.
10 And rwhatsoever 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.
11 Then sI looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, tall was vanity and *vexation of spirit, and uthere was no profit under the sun.
12 ¶And vI turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? 5even that which hath been already done.
13 wThen I saw 6that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
- w: Proverbs 1 - 9 , Pr. 10:1 , Pr. 14:1 , Ec. 7:4 - 6 , Ec. 7:12 , Mal. 3:18 , Mal. 4:1 , Mal. 4:2
- 6: Heb. that there is an excellency in wisdom more than in folly.
14 The xwise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also ythat one event happeneth to them all.
15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it 7happeneth even to me; and zwhy was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.
16 For athere 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 bhow dieth the wise man? as the fool.
- a: Ex. 1:6 , Ex. 1:8 , Ec. 1:11 , Ec. 9:1 - 3 , Ps. 103:16 , Ps. 88:12 , Ps. 49:10 , 2Sa. 3:33
- b: He. 9:27
17 Therefore cI hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for dall is vanity and *vexation of spirit.
- c: Job 7:15 , Job 7:16 , 1Ki. 19:4 , 1Ki. 19:10 , 1Ki. 19:14 , 4:3 , 4:8 , Phi. 1:23 , 2Co. 5:2 - 4
- d: Ec. 2:11 , Ec. 1:14
- *: vexation-trouble, distress, affliction.
18 ¶Yea, I hated eall my labour which I had 8taken under the sun: because fI should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
- e: Ec. 1:13 , Ec. 2:1 - 12
- 8: Heb. laboured.
- f: Ps. 49:10 , Ps. 17:14 , 2Co. 12:14 , Ec. 5:13
19 And who knoweth gwhether 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 hvanity.
- g: 1Ki. 12:8 , 1Ki. 12:14 , 2Ch. 10:14 , Ec. 3:22 , Ps. 39:6
- h: Lu. 8:14 , 1Ti. 6:10
20 Therefore I went about ito cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.
21 For jthere is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in kequity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he 9leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 lFor what hath man of all his labour, and of the *vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?
23 mFor all his days are sorrows, and his *travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
- m: Job 5:7 , Job 14:1 , Ac. 14:22 , Ps. 90:7 - 10 , Ps. 127:2 , Ps. 139:5 - 11 , Ge. 47:9 , Ec. 8:16
- *: travail-labour.
24 ¶There is nnothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he 10should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that oit was from the hand of God.
25 For pwho can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?
- p: 1Ki. 4:21 - 31 , Ec. 6:1 , Ec. 6:2 , Ec. 2:1 - 12
26 qFor God giveth to a man that is good 11in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth *travail, to gather and to heap up, that rhe may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and *vexation of spirit.
- q: Leviticus 26 , Deuteronomy 28 , Is. 3:10 , Is. 3:11 , Ro. 2:7 - 11 , Job 18 , Job 20 , Job 22
- 11: Heb. before him, Ge. 7.1. Lu. 1.6. , Ge. 7:1 , Lu. 1:6
- *: travail-distress, trouble. , vexation-trouble, distress, affliction.
- r: Job 27:16 , Job 27:17 , Pr. 13:22 , Pr. 28:8