Ecclesiastes 2:1-6
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 2
1I said to myself, 'Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself.' And behold, it too was futility. 2I said of laughter, 'It is senseless,' and of pleasure, 'What does this accomplish?' 3I explored with my mind how to refresh my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely; and how to seize foolishness, until I could see what good there is for the sons of mankind to do under heaven for the few years of their lives. 4I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself; 5I made gardens and parks for myself, and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; 6I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees.King James Version
Chapter 2
1I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. 2I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? 3I 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. 4I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: 5I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: 6I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:Christian Standard Bible
Chapter 2
1I said to myself, "Go ahead, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good." But it turned out to be futile. 2I said about laughter, "It is madness," and about pleasure, "What does this accomplish? " 3I explored with my mind the pull of wine on my body--my mind still guiding me with wisdom -- and how to grasp folly, until I could see what is good for people to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.New Living Translation
Chapter 2
1I said to myself, 'Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.' But I found that this, too, was meaningless. 2So I said, 'Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?' 3After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world.English Standard Version
Chapter 2
1I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. 2I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees.New International Version
Chapter 2
1I said to myself, 'Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.' But that also proved to be meaningless. 2Laughter,' I said, 'is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?' 3I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly--my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.New King James Version