Ecclesiastes 2:15-22
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 2
15Then I said to myself, 'As is the fate of the fool, it will also happen to me. Why then have I been extremely wise?' So I said to myself, 'This too is futility.' 16For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, along with the fool, since in the coming days everything will soon be forgotten. And how the wise and the fool alike die! 17So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was unhappy to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.
18So I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me.
19And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is futility.
20Therefore I completely despaired over all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun.
21When there is a person who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and then gives his legacy to one who has not labored for it; this too is futility and a great evil.
22For what does a person get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labors under the sun?
King James Version
17Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
18Yea, 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.
21For 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.
22For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?
Christian Standard Bible
Chapter 2
15So I said to myself, "What happens to the fool will also happen to me. Why then have I been overly wise?" And I said to myself that this is also futile. 16For, just like the fool, there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, since in the days to come both will be forgotten. How is it that the wise person dies just like the fool? 17Therefore, I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
18I hated all my work that I labored at under the sun because I must leave it to the one who comes after me.
19And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will take over all my work that I labored at skillfully under the sun. This too is futile.
20So I began to give myself over to despair concerning all my work that I had labored at under the sun.
21When there is a person whose work was done with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a person who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great wrong.
22For what does a person get with all his work and all his efforts that he labors at under the sun?
New Living Translation
Chapter 2
15Both will die. So I said to myself, 'Since I will end up the same as the fool, what’s the value of all my wisdom? This is all so meaningless!' 16For the wise and the foolish both die. The wise will not be remembered any longer than the fool. In the days to come, both will be forgotten.
18I came to hate all my hard work here on earth, for I must leave to others everything I have earned.
19And who can tell whether my successors will be wise or foolish? Yet they will control everything I have gained by my skill and hard work under the sun. How meaningless!
20So I gave up in despair, questioning the value of all my hard work in this world.
English Standard Version
Chapter 2
15Then I said in my heart, "What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?" And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. 16For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! 17So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind.
18I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me,
19and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity.
20So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun,
21because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun?
New International Version
Chapter 2
15Then I said to myself, "The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?" I said to myself, "This too is meaningless." 16For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered; the days have already come when both have been forgotten. Like the fool, the wise too must die!
17So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
18I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.
19And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless.
20So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun.
21For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.
22What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun?
New King James Version
Chapter 2
15So 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.” 16For there is 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!
18Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me.
19And 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.
20Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun.
21For 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.
22For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun?
