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NASB Bible (with Strong's Numbers)

Ecclesiastes 2

The Futility of Pleasure and Possessions

1

I saidh559  1to myselfh3820, "Comeh1980 nowh4994, I will testh5254 you with  apleasureh8057. So  2enjoyh7200h2896b yourself." And beholdh2009, it tooh1571 was futilityh1892.

2

 aI saidh559 of laughterh7814, "It is madnessh1984b," and of pleasureh8057, "Whath4100 does it accomplishh6213a?"

3

I exploredh8446 with my  1mindh3820 how to  astimulateh4900 my bodyh1320 with wineh3196 while my  1mindh3820 was guidingh5090a me wiselyh2451, and how to takeh270 holdh270 of  bfollyh5531, untilh5704h834 I could seeh7200  cwhath335h2088 goodh2896a there is for the sonsh1121 of menh120  2to doh6213a underh8478 heavenh8064 the fewh4557  3yearsh3117 of their livesh2425b.

4

I enlargedh1431 my worksh4639: I  abuilth1129 housesh1004 for myself, I plantedh5193  bvineyardsh3754 for myself;

5

I madeh6213a  agardensh1593 and  bparksh6508 for myself and I plantedh5193 in them allh3605 kinds of fruith6529 treesh6086;

6

I madeh6213a  apondsh1295 of waterh4325 for myself from which to irrigateh8248 a foresth3293a of growingh6779 treesh6086.

7

I boughth7069 maleh5650 and femaleh8198 slavesh8198h5650 and I hadh1961  1 ahomebornh1121h1004 slavesh1121. Alsoh1571 I possessed flocksh6629 and  bherdsh1241 largerh7235a thanh4480 allh3605 whoh7945 precededh6440 me in Jerusalemh3389.

8

Alsoh1571, I collectedh3664 for myself silverh3701 and  agoldh2091 and the treasureh5459 of kingsh4428 and provincesh4082. I providedh6213a for myself  bmale and female singersh7891 and the pleasuresh8588 of menh1121h120--manyh7705 concubinesh7705.

9

Then I becameh1431  agreath1431 and increasedh3254 moreh4480 thanh4480 allh3605 whoh7945 precededh6440 me in Jerusalemh3389. My wisdomh2451 alsoh637 stoodh5975 by me.

10

 aAllh3605 that my eyesh5869 desiredh7592 I did not refuseh680 them. I did not withholdh4513 my hearth3820 from anyh3605 pleasureh8057, for my hearth3820 was pleasedh8056 becauseh4480 of allh3605 my laborh5999 and thish2088 was my  brewardh2506 for allh3605 my laborh5999.

11

Thus I consideredh6437 allh3605 my activitiesh4639 whichh7945 my handsh3027 had doneh6213a and the laborh5999 whichh7945 I had  1exertedh6213a, and beholdh2009 allh3605 was  2 avanityh1892 and strivingh7469 after windh7307 and thereh369 was  bnoh369 profith3504 underh8478 the sunh8121.

Wisdom Excels Folly

12

So I turnedh6437 to  aconsiderh7200 wisdomh2451, madnessh1947 and follyh5531; for whath4100 will the manh120 do whoh7945 will comeh935 afterh310 the kingh4428 except  bwhath834 has alreadyh3528 been doneh6213a?

13

And I sawh7200 that  awisdomh2451 excelsh3504 follyh5531 as lighth216 excelsh3504 darknessh2822.

14

The wiseh2450 man'sh2450 eyesh5869 are in his headh7218, but the  afoolh3684 walksh1980 in darknessh2822. And yeth1571 I knowh3045 that  boneh259 fateh4745 befallsh7136a them bothh3605.

15

Then I saidh559  1to myselfh3820, " aAs is the fateh4745 of the foolh3684, it will alsoh1571 befallh7136a me.  bWhyh4100 thenh227 have I beenh2449 extremelyh3148 wiseh2449?" So  2I saidh1696 to myselfh3820, "Thish2088 tooh1571 is vanityh1892."

16

For thereh369 is  anoh369  1lastingh5769 remembranceh2146 of the wiseh2450 manh2450 as with the foolh3684, inasmuchh7945 as in the comingh935 daysh3117 allh3605 will be forgottenh7911. And  bhowh349 the wiseh2450 manh2450 and the foolh3684 alikeh5973 dieh4191!

17

So I  ahatedh8130 lifeh2425b, for the workh4639 whichh7945 had been doneh6213a underh8478 the sunh8121 was  1grievoush7451a to me; becauseh3588 everythingh3605 is futilityh1892 and strivingh7469 after windh7307.

The Futility of Labor

18

Thus I hatedh8130  aallh3605 the fruith5999 of my laborh5999 for whichh7945 I had laboredh6001b underh8478 the sunh8121, for I must  bleaveh5117 it to the manh120 whoh7945 will comeh1961 afterh310 me.

19

And whoh4310 knowsh3045 whether he will be a wiseh2450 manh2450 orh176  aa foolh5530? Yet he will have  1controlh7980 overh7980 allh3605 the fruith5999 of my laborh5999 for whichh7945 I have laboredh5998 by actingh2449 wiselyh2449 underh8478 the sunh8121. Thish2088 tooh1571 is  bvanityh1892.

20

Therefore I  1completelyh5437h3820 despairedh2976 of allh3605 the fruith5999 of my laborh5999 for whichh7945 I had laboredh5998 underh8478 the sunh8121.

21

Whenh3588 thereh3426 is a manh120 whoh7945 has laboredh5998 with wisdomh2451, knowledgeh1847 and  askillh3788, then he  bgivesh5414 his  1legacyh2506 to oneh120 whoh7945 has not laboredh5998 with them. Thish2088 tooh1571 is vanityh1892 and a greath7227a evilh7463a.

22

For whath4100 does a manh120 geth1933b in  aallh3605 his laborh5999 and in  1his strivingh7475 with whichh7945 he laborsh6001b underh8478 the sunh8121?

23

Becauseh3588 allh3605 his daysh3117 his taskh6045 is painfulh4341 and  agrievoush3708a; evenh1571 at nighth3915 his  1mindh3820  bdoes not resth7901. Thish2088 tooh1571 is vanityh1892.

24

Thereh369 is  anothingh369 betterh2896a for a manh120 than to eath398 and drinkh8354 and  1tellh7200 himselfh5315 that his laborh5999 is goodh2896b. Thish2090 alsoh1571 I have seenh7200 that it is  bfrom the handh3027 of Godh430.

25

For whoh4310 can eath398 and whoh4310 can haveh2363b enjoymenth2363b withouth2351h4480  1Him?

26

For to a personh120 whoh7945 is goodh2896a in His sighth6440  aHe has givenh5414 wisdomh2451 and knowledgeh1847 and joyh8057, while to the sinnerh2398 He has givenh5414 the taskh6045 of gatheringh622 and collectingh3664 so that he may  bgiveh5414 to oneh2896a whoh2896a is goodh2896a in God'sh430 sighth6440. Thish2088 tooh1571 is  cvanityh1892 and strivingh7469 after windh7307.



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(Produced: Sat Dec 22 10:52:31 2007)

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