Ecclesiastes/Qohelet 2

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.	1 I thought to myself, 'Very wel , I wil try pleasure and see what enjoyment has to offer.' And this wasfutile too.
2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?	2 This laughter, I reflected, is a madness, this pleasure no use at al .
3 I 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.	3 I decided to hand my body over to drinking wine, my mind still guiding me in wisdom; I resolved toembrace folly, to discover the best way for people to spend their days under the sun.
4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:	4 I worked on a grand scale: built myself palaces, planted vineyards;
5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:	5 made myself gardens and orchards, planting every kind of fruit tree in them;
6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:	6 had pools made for watering the young trees of my plantations.
7 I 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:	7 I bought slaves, male and female, had home-born slaves as wel ; herds and flocks I had too, more thananyone in Jerusalem before me.
8 I 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.	8 I amassed silver and gold, the treasures of kings and provinces; acquired singers, men and women,and every human luxury, chest upon chest of it.
9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.	9 So I grew great, greater than anyone in Jerusalem before me; nor did my wisdom leave me.
10 And 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.	10 I denied my eyes nothing that they desired, refused my heart no pleasure, for I found all my hard worka pleasure, such was the return for al my efforts.
11 Then 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.	11 I then reflected on al that my hands had achieved and all the effort I had put into its achieving. Whatfutility it al was, what chasing after the wind! There is nothing to be gained under the sun.
12 And 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.	12 My reflections then turned to wisdom, stupidity and fol y. For instance, what can the successor of aking do? What has been done already.
13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.	13 More is to be gained from wisdom than from fol y, just as one gains more from light than fromdarkness; this, of course, I see:
14 The 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.	14 The wise have their eyes open, the fool walks in the dark. No doubt! But I know, too, that one fateawaits them both.
15 Then 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.	15 'Since the fool's fate', I thought to myself, 'will be my fate too, what is the point of my having beenwise?' I realised that this too is futile.
16 For 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.	16 For there is no lasting memory for the wise or the fool, and in the days to come both will be forgotten;the wise, no less than the fool, must die.
17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.	17 Life I have come to hate, for what is done under the sun disgusts me, since al is futility and chasingafter the wind.
18 Yea, 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.	18 All I have toiled for under the sun and now bequeath to my successor I have come to hate;
19 And 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.	19 who knows whether he wil be wise or a fool? Yet he wil be master of al the work into which I have putmy efforts and wisdom under the sun. That is futile too.
20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.	20 I have come to despair of all the efforts I have expended under the sun.
21 For 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.	21 For here is one who has laboured wisely, skilfully and successful y and must leave what is his own tosomeone who has not toiled for it at al . This is futile too, and grossly unjust;
22 For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?	22 for what does he gain for al the toil and strain that he has undergone under the sun-
23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.	23 since his days are ful of sorrow, his work is ful of stress and even at night he has no peace of mind?This is futile too.
24 There 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.	24 There is no happiness except in eating and drinking, and in enjoying one's achievements; and I seethat this too comes from God's hand;
25 For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?	25 for who would get anything to eat or drink, unless al this came from him?
26 For 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.	26 Wisdom, knowledge and joy, God gives to those who please him, but on the sinner he lays the task ofgathering and storing up for someone else who is pleasing to him. This too is futility and chasing after the wind.