Ecclesiastes 2
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I said a in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with b mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure"; but surely, c this also was vanity.
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I said of laughter - "Madness!"; and of mirth, "What does it accomplish?"
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d I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was e good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives.
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I made my works great, I built myself f houses, and planted myself vineyards.
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I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.
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I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove.
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I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me.
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g I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds.
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h So I became great and excelled i more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.
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Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them.
I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure,
For my heart rejoiced in all my labor;
And j this was my reward from all my labor.
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Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done
And on the labor in which I had toiled;
And indeed all was k vanity and grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under the sun.
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Then I turned myself to consider wisdom l and madness and folly;
For what can the man do who succeeds the king? -
Only what he has already m done.
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Then I saw that wisdom n excels folly
As light excels darkness.
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o The wise man's eyes are in his head,
But the fool walks in darkness.
Yet I myself perceived
That p the same event happens to them all.
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So I said in my heart,
"As it happens to the fool,
It also happens to me,
And why was I then more wise?"
Then I said in my heart,
"This also is vanity."
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For there is q no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever,
Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come.
And how does a wise man die?
As the fool!
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Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.
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Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because r I must leave it to the man who will come after me.
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And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
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Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun.
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For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.
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s For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun?
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For all his days are t sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.
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u Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.
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For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?
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For God gives v wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that w he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.
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Cross References
Luke 12:19
'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."'
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Cross References
Proverbs 14:13
Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, And the end of mirth may be grief.
Ecclesiastes 7:4
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Ecclesiastes 8:15
So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.
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Cross References
Ecclesiastes 1:2
"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher; "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity."
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Cross References
Ecclesiastes 1:17
And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind.
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Cross References
Ecclesiastes 3:12
I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives.
Ecclesiastes 3:13
And also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor - it is the gift of God.
Ecclesiastes 5:18
Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage.
Ecclesiastes 6:12
For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he passes like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun?
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Cross References
1 Kings 7:1 - 12
But Solomon took thirteen years to build his own house; so he finished all his house.
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Cross References
1 Kings 9:28
And they went to Ophir, and acquired four hundred and twenty talents of gold from there, and brought it to King Solomon.
1 Kings 10:10
Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great quantity, and precious stones. There never again came such abundance of spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
1 Kings 10:14
The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold.
1 Kings 10:21
All King Solomon's drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.
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Cross References
Ecclesiastes 1:16
I communed with my heart, saying, "Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has understood great wisdom and knowledge.
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Cross References
2 Chronicles 9:22
So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
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Cross References
Ecclesiastes 3:22
So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?
Ecclesiastes 5:18
Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage.
Ecclesiastes 9:9
Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun.
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Cross References
Ecclesiastes 1:3
What profit has a man from all his labor In which he toils under the sun?
Ecclesiastes 1:14
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.
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Cross References
Ecclesiastes 1:17
And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind.
Ecclesiastes 7:25
I applied my heart to know, To search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things, To know the wickedness of folly, Even of foolishness and madness.
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Cross References
Ecclesiastes 1:9
That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.
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Cross References
Ecclesiastes 7:11
Wisdom is good with an inheritance, And profitable to those who see the sun.
Ecclesiastes 7:14
In the day of prosperity be joyful, But in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, So that man can find out nothing that will come after him.
Ecclesiastes 7:19
Wisdom strengthens the wise More than ten rulers of the city.
Ecclesiastes 9:18
Wisdom is better than weapons of war; But one sinner destroys much good.
Ecclesiastes 10:10
If the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength; But wisdom brings success.
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Cross References
Proverbs 17:24
Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding, But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
Ecclesiastes 8:1
Who is like a wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face shine, And the sternness of his face is changed.
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Cross References
Psalms 49:10
For he sees wise men die; Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish, And leave their wealth to others.
Ecclesiastes 9:2
All things come alike to all: One event happens to the righteous and the wicked; To the good, the clean, and the unclean; To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; He who takes an oath as he who fears an oath.
Ecclesiastes 9:3
This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
Ecclesiastes 9:11
I returned and saw under the sun that - The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.
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Cross References
Ecclesiastes 1:11
There is no remembrance of former things, Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come By those who will come after.
Ecclesiastes 4:16
There was no end of all the people over whom he was made king; Yet those who come afterward will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and grasping for the wind.
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Cross References
Psalms 49:10
For he sees wise men die; Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish, And leave their wealth to others.
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Cross References
Ecclesiastes 1:3
What profit has a man from all his labor In which he toils under the sun?
Ecclesiastes 3:9
What profit has the worker from that in which he labors?
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Cross References
Job 5:7
Yet man is born to trouble, As the sparks fly upward.
Job 14:1
Man who is born of woman Is of few days and full of trouble.
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Cross References
Ecclesiastes 3:12
I know that nothing is better for them than to ...
Ecclesiastes 3:13
And also that every man should eat and drink an...
Ecclesiastes 3:22
So I perceived that nothing is better than that...
Isaiah 56:12
"Come," one says, "I will bring wine, And we wi...
Luke 12:19
'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have man...
1 Corinthians 15:32
If, in the manner of men, I have fought with be...
1 Timothy 6:17
Command those who are rich in this present age ...
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Cross References
Job 32:8
But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.
Proverbs 2:6
For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
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Cross References
Job 27:16
Though he heaps up silver like dust, And piles up clothing like clay -
Job 27:17
He may pile it up, but the just will wear it, And the innocent will divide the silver.
Proverbs 28:8
One who increases his possessions by usury and extortion Gathers it for him who will pity the poor.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.