Ecclesiastes 2:2

The NET Bible®

I said of partying, "It is folly," and of self-indulgent pleasure, "It accomplishes nothing!"

Parallel Translations

New Living Translation
So I said, "Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?"

Update Bible Version
I said of laughter, It is insane; and of mirth, What does it do?

New Century Version
It is foolish to laugh all the time, and having fun doesn't accomplish anything.

Webster's Bible Translation
I said of laughter, [It is] mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?

World English Bible
I said of laughter, "It is foolishness;" and of mirth, "What does it accomplish?"

Amplified Bible
I said of laughter, "It is madness," and of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?"

English Standard Version
I said of laughter, "It is mad," and of pleasure, "What use is it?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And leiyyng Y arrettide errour, and Y seide to ioye, What art thou disseyued in veyn?

English Revised Version
I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?

Berean Standard Bible
I said of laughter, "It is folly," and of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?"

Contemporary English Version
Laughing and having fun is crazy. What good does it do?

American Standard Version
I said of laughter, It is mad; and of mirth, What doeth it?

Bible in Basic English
Of laughing I said, It is foolish; and of joy--What use is it?

Complete Jewish Bible
Of laughter I said, "This is stupid," and of pleasure, "What's the use of it?"

Darby Translation
I said of laughter, Madness! and of mirth, What availeth it?

Easy-to-Read Version
It is foolish to laugh all the time. Having fun does not do any good.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
I said of laughter: 'It is mad'; and of mirth: 'What doth it accomplish?'

King James Version (1611)
I saide of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?

New Life Bible
I said of laughing, "It is crazy," and of fun, "What use is it?"

New Revised Standard
I said of laughter, "It is mad," and of pleasure, "What use is it?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
I saide of laughter, Thou art mad: and of ioy, What is this that thou doest?

George Lamsa Translation
I said of laughter, What pleasure is there in it? and of mirth, What do you accomplish?

Good News Translation
I discovered that laughter is foolish, that pleasure does you no good.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Of laughter, I said, Madness! and, of mirth, What can it do?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Laughter I counted error: and to mirth I said: Why art thou vainly deceived?

Revised Standard Version
I said of laughter, "It is mad," and of pleasure, "What use is it?"

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Insomuch that I saide vnto the man geuen to laughter, thou art mad: and to mirth, what doest thou?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
I said to laughter, Madness: and to mirth, Why doest thou this:

Christian Standard Bible®
I said about laughter, “It is madness,” and about pleasure, “What does this accomplish?”

Hebrew Names Version
I said of laughter, "It is foolishness;" and of mirth, "What does it accomplish?"

King James Version
I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?

Lexham English Bible
I said of laughter, "It is folly!" and of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?"

Literal Translation
I said of laughter, It is madness, and of mirth, What does it do?

Young's Literal Translation
Of laughter I said, `Foolish!' and of mirth, `What [is] this it is doing?'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
in so moch that I sayde vnto laughter: thou art madd, and to myrth: what doest thou?

New American Standard Bible
I said of laughter, "It is senseless," and of pleasure, "What does this accomplish?"

New King James Version
I said of laughter--"Madness!"; and of mirth, "What does it accomplish?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
I said of laughter, "It is madness," and of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?"

Legacy Standard Bible
I said of laughter, "It is madness," and of gladness, "What does it do?"

Contextual Overview

¹ I thought to myself, "Come now, I will try self-indulgent pleasure to see if it is worthwhile." But I found that it also is futile. ² I said of partying, "It is folly," and of self-indulgent pleasure, "It accomplishes nothing!" ³ I thought deeply about the effects of indulging myself with wine (all the while my mind was guiding me with wisdom) and the effects of behaving foolishly, so that I might discover what is profitable for people to do on earth during the few days of their lives. ⁴ I increased my possessions: I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself. ⁵ I designed royal gardens and parks for myself, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. ⁶ I constructed pools of water for myself, to irrigate my grove of flourishing trees. ⁷ I purchased male and female slaves, and I owned slaves who were born in my house; I also possessed more livestock—both herds and flocks— than any of my predecessors in Jerusalem. ⁸ I also amassed silver and gold for myself, as well as valuable treasures taken from kingdoms and provinces. I acquired male singers and female singers for myself, and what gives a man sensual delight—a harem of beautiful concubines! ⁹ So I was far wealthier than all my predecessors in Jerusalem, yet I maintained my objectivity: ¹⁰ I did not restrain myself from getting whatever I wanted; I did not deny myself anything that would bring me pleasure. So all my accomplishments gave me joy; this was my reward for all my effort.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I said: Solomon is not speaking here of sober enjoyment of the things of the world, but of intemperate pleasure, whose two attendants, laughter and mirth, are introduced by a beautiful prosopopoeia, as two persons, whom he treats with the utmost contempt.

It is: Ecclesiastes 7:2-6, Proverbs 14:13, Isaiah 22:12, Isaiah 22:13, Amos 6:3-6, 1 Peter 4:2-4

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 25:36 - merry Ecclesiastes 7:6 - as Ecclesiastes 10:19 - feast Matthew 13:45 - seeking Luke 6:25 - laugh James 4:9 - let

Cross-References

Genesis 1:31
God saw all that he had made—and it was very good! There was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day.

Genesis 2:8
The Lord God planted an orchard in the east, in Eden; and there he placed the man he had formed.

Genesis 2:11
The name of the first is Pishon; it runs through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold.

Exodus 23:12
For six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you must cease, in order that your ox and your donkey may rest and that your female servant's son and any hired help may refresh themselves.

Exodus 31:17
It is a sign between me and the Israelites forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.'"

Deuteronomy 5:14
but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. On that day you must not do any work, you, your son, your daughter, your male slave, your female slave, your ox, your donkey, any other animal, or the foreigner who lives with you, so that your male and female slaves, like yourself, may have rest.

Isaiah 58:13
You must observe the Sabbath rather than doing anything you please on my holy day. You must look forward to the Sabbath and treat the Lord 's holy day with respect. You must treat it with respect by refraining from your normal activities, and by refraining from your selfish pursuits and from making business deals.

John 5:17
So he told them, "My Father is working until now, and I too am working."

Hebrews 4:4
For he has spoken somewhere about the seventh day in this way: " And God rested on the seventh day from all his works ,"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I said of laughter, [it is] mad,.... The risible faculty in man is given him for some usefulness; and when used in a moderate way, and kept within due bounds, is of service to him, and conduces to the health of his body, and the pleasure of his mind; but when used on every trivial occasion, and at every foolish thing that is said or done, and indulged to excess, it is mere madness, and makes a man look more like a madman and a fool than a wise man; it lasts but for a while, and the end of it is heaviness, Ecclesiastes 7:6. Or, "I said to laughter, [thou art] mad" x; and therefore will have nothing to do with thee in the excessive and criminal way, but shun thee, as one would do a mad man: this therefore is not to be reckoned into the pleasure he bid his soul go to and enjoy;

and of mirth, what doth it? what good does do? of what profit and advantage is it to man? If the question is concerning innocent mirth, the answer may be given out of Proverbs 15:13; but if of carnal sinful mirth, there is no good arises from that to the body or mind; or any kind of happiness to be enjoyed that way, and therefore no trial is to be made of it. What the wise man proposed to make trial of, and did, follows in the next verses.

x לשחוק אמרתי מהולל "risui dixi, insanis", Mercerus, Drusius, Amama; "vel insanus es", Piscator, Schmidt, Rambachius.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 2:2. I said of laughter, It is mad — Literally "To laughter I said, O mad one! and to mirth, What is this one doing?"

Solomon does not speak here of a sober enjoyment of the things of this world, but of intemperate pleasure, whose two attendants, laughter and mirth are introduced by a beautiful prosopopoeia as two persons; and the contemptuous manner wherewith he treats them has something remarkably striking. He tells the former to her face that she is mad; but as to the latter, he thinks her so much beneath his notice, that he only points at her, and instantly turns his back.