Ecclesiastes 2
- 1I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove you with joy, therefore enjoy pleasure. And this also is meaningless.
- 2I said of laughter, It is mad, and of joy, What does it?
- 3I sought in my heart to give myself to wine, yet guiding my heart with wisdom, and to lay hold on foolishness, 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 built me houses. I planted me vineyards.
- 5I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruits.
- 6I made me pools of water, to water with them the grove where trees were growing.
- 7I got male and female servants, 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 private treasure of kings and of the provinces: I got 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 whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not hold back my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor, and this was my portion of all my labor.
- 11Then I looked on all the works that my hands had worked, and on the labor that I had labored to do, and all was meaningless, like trying to catch the wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
- 12And I turned myself to look at wisdom, and madness, and foolishness. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Even that which has been already done.
- 13Then I saw that wisdom excels foolishness, as far as light excels darkness.
- 14The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And I myself noticed also that one event happens to them all.
- 15Then I said in my heart, As it happens to the fool, so it happens even to me, and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is meaningless.
- 16For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool forever, seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how does the wise man die? As the fool.
- 17Therefore I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun is painful to me. For all is meaningless, like trying to catch the wind.
- 18Yes, I hated all my labor which I had taken under the sun, because I should leave it to the man who shall be after me.
- 19And who knows whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? Yet he shall have rule over all my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have showed myself wise under the sun. This is also meaningless.
- 20Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labor which I took under the sun.
- 21For there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity, yet to a man who has not labored in it shall he leave it for his portion. This also is meaningless and a great evil.
- 22For what has man of all his labor, and of the distress of his heart, in which he has labored under the sun?
- 23For all his days are sorrows, and his work grief. Yes, his heart does not take rest in the night. This is also meaningless.
- 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 labor. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.
- 25For who can eat, or who else can enjoy life, more than I?
- 26For God gives to a man who is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner he gives toil, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is meaningless, like trying to catch the wind.
What changed from the KJV
GIGAKJV is a modern English revision of the King James Version. The comparison below uses the project's KJV text in the later 1769 tradition and marks, word by word, each verse of Ecclesiastes 2 where the wording differs: struck-through words are the KJV's, highlighted words are GIGAKJV's.
KJVI said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
GIGAKJVI said in my heart, Come now, I will prove you with joy, therefore enjoy pleasure. And this also is meaningless.
KJVI said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
GIGAKJVI said of laughter, It is mad, and of joy, What does it?
KJVI 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.
GIGAKJVI sought in my heart to give myself to wine, yet guiding my heart with wisdom, and to lay hold on foolishness, 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.
KJVI made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
GIGAKJVI made me great works. I built me houses. I planted me vineyards.
KJVI made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
GIGAKJVI made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruits.
KJVI made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:
GIGAKJVI made me pools of water, to water with them the grove where trees were growing.
KJVI 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:
GIGAKJVI got male and female servants, 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.
KJVI 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.
GIGAKJVI gathered me also silver and gold, and the private treasure of kings and of the provinces: I got me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
KJVAnd 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.
GIGAKJVAnd whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not hold back my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor, and this was my portion of all my labor.
KJVThen 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.
GIGAKJVThen I looked on all the works that my hands had worked, and on the labor that I had labored to do, and all was meaningless, like trying to catch the wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
KJVAnd 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.
GIGAKJVAnd I turned myself to look at wisdom, and madness, and foolishness. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Even that which has been already done.
KJVThen I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
GIGAKJVThen I saw that wisdom excels foolishness, as far as light excels darkness.
KJVThe 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.
GIGAKJVThe wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And I myself noticed also that one event happens to them all.
KJVThen 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.
GIGAKJVThen I said in my heart, As it happens to the fool, so it happens even to me, and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is meaningless.
KJVFor 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.
GIGAKJVFor there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool forever, seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how does the wise man die? As the fool.
KJVTherefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
GIGAKJVTherefore I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun is painful to me. For all is meaningless, like trying to catch the wind.
KJVYea, 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.
GIGAKJVYes, I hated all my labor which I had taken under the sun, because I should leave it to the man who shall be after me.
KJVAnd 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.
GIGAKJVAnd who knows whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? Yet he shall have rule over all my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have showed myself wise under the sun. This is also meaningless.
KJVTherefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.
GIGAKJVTherefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labor which I took under the sun.
KJVFor 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.
GIGAKJVFor there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity, yet to a man who has not labored in it shall he leave it for his portion. This also is meaningless and a great evil.
KJVFor what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?
GIGAKJVFor what has man of all his labor, and of the distress of his heart, in which he has labored under the sun?
KJVFor all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
GIGAKJVFor all his days are sorrows, and his work grief. Yes, his heart does not take rest in the night. This is also meaningless.
KJVThere 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.
GIGAKJVThere is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.
KJVFor who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?
GIGAKJVFor who can eat, or who else can enjoy life, more than I?
KJVFor 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.
GIGAKJVFor God gives to a man who is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner he gives toil, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is meaningless, like trying to catch the wind.
Read the translation philosophy · Pronouns, Speakers, and Meaning · The Power-Word Lexicon