Ecclesiastes 2:1

New Living Translation

I 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.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I said to myself, “Go ahead, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good.” But it turned out to be futile.

Hebrew Names Version
I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with mirth: therefore enjoy pleasure;" and, behold, this also was vanity.

King James Version
I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.

English Standard Version
I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself." But behold, this also was vanity.

New American Standard Bible
I said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself." And behold, it too was futility.

New Century Version
I said to myself, "I will try having fun. I will enjoy myself." But I found that this is also useless.

Amplified Bible
I said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure and gratification; so enjoy yourself and have a good time." But behold, this too was vanity (futility, meaninglessness).

World English Bible
I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with mirth: therefore enjoy pleasure;" and, behold, this also was vanity.

Geneva Bible (1587)
I said in mine heart, Goe to nowe, I will proue thee with ioy: therefore take thou pleasure in pleasant things: and beholde, this also is vanitie.

Legacy Standard Bible
I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with gladness, so that you shall see good things." And behold, it too was vanity.

Berean Standard Bible
I said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good!" But it proved to be futile.

Contemporary English Version
I said to myself, "Have fun and enjoy yourself!" But this didn't make sense.

Complete Jewish Bible
I said to myself, "Come now, I will test myself with pleasure and enjoying good things"; but this too was pointless.

Darby Translation
I said in my heart, Come now, I will try thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure. But behold, this also is vanity.

Easy-to-Read Version
I said to myself, "I should have fun—I should enjoy everything as much as I can." But I learned that this is also useless.

George Lamsa Translation
I SAID to my heart, Come now, I will prove you with joy; therefore enjoy good things; and, behold, this also is vanity.

Good News Translation
I decided to enjoy myself and find out what happiness is. But I found that this is useless, too.

Lexham English Bible
I said to myself, "Come! I will test pleasure to see whether it is worthwhile." But look, "This also is vanity!"

Literal Translation
I said in my heart, Come now, I will test you with mirth. Therefore, consider with goodness. And behold, this also is vanity.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The sayde I thus in my hert: Now go to, I wil take myne ease & haue good dayes. But lo, that was vanite also:

American Standard Version
I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also was vanity.

Bible in Basic English
I said in my heart, I will give you joy for a test; so take your pleasure--but it was to no purpose.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
I said in my heart: 'Come now, I will try thee with mirth, and enjoy pleasure'; and, behold, this also was vanity.

King James Version (1611)
I said in mine heart, Goe to now, I wil prooue thee with mirth, therfore enioy pleasure: and behold, this also is vanitie.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then sayde I thus in my heart: Nowe go to, I will take myne ease, and haue good dayes: But lo, that is vanitie also.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth, and behold thou good: and, behold, this is also vanity.

English Revised Version
I SAID in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also was vanity.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor Y seide in myn hertez, Y schal go, and Y schal flowe in delicis, and Y schal vse goodis; and Y siy also that this was vanyte.

Update Bible Version
I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure: and, look, this also was vanity.

Webster's Bible Translation
I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and behold, this also [is] vanity.

New English Translation
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.

New King James Version
1 Kings 4:20-28">[xr] I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure"; but surely, this also was vanity.

New Life Bible
I said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with things that are fun. So have a good time." But see, this also was for nothing.

New Revised Standard
I said to myself, "Come now, I will make a test of pleasure; enjoy yourself." But again, this also was vanity.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Said, I, in my heart, Come now! I will prove thee with gladness, and look thou on blessedness, - but lo! even that, was vanity.

Douay-Rheims Bible
I said in my heart: I will go, and abound with delights, and enjoy good things. And I saw that this also was vanity.

Revised Standard Version
I said to myself, "Come now, I will make a test of pleasure; enjoy yourself." But behold, this also was vanity.

Young's Literal Translation
I said in my heart, `Pray, come, I try thee with mirth, and look thou on gladness;' and lo, even it [is] vanity.

THE MESSAGE
I said to myself, "Let's go for it—experiment with pleasure, have a good time!" But there was nothing to it, nothing but smoke. What do I think of the fun-filled life? Insane! Inane! My verdict on the pursuit of happiness? Who needs it? With the help of a bottle of wine and all the wisdom I could muster, I tried my level best to penetrate the absurdity of life. I wanted to get a handle on anything useful we mortals might do during the years we spend on this earth.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
I said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself." And behold, it too was futility.

Contextual Overview

¹ I 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. ² So I said, "Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?" ³ After 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. ⁴ I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. ⁵ I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. ⁶ I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves. ⁷ I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me. ⁸ I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire! ⁹ So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me. ¹⁰ Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

said: Ecclesiastes 2:15, Ecclesiastes 1:16, Ecclesiastes 1:17, Ecclesiastes 3:17, Ecclesiastes 3:18, Psalms 10:6, Psalms 14:1, Psalms 27:8, Psalms 30:6, Psalms 30:7, Luke 12:19

Go to: Genesis 11:3, Genesis 11:4, Genesis 11:7, 2 Kings 5:5, Isaiah 5:5, James 4:13, James 5:1

I will: Ecclesiastes 8:15, Ecclesiastes 11:9, Isaiah 50:5, Isaiah 50:11, Luke 16:19, Luke 16:23, James 5:5, Titus 3:3, Revelation 18:7, Revelation 18:8

Reciprocal: Psalms 127:2 - vain Ecclesiastes 2:25 - who can Ecclesiastes 7:25 - I applied mine heart Ecclesiastes 10:19 - feast Ecclesiastes 11:8 - All that

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:10
God called the dry ground "land" and the waters "seas." And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 2:3
And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.

Genesis 2:4
This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth. When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,

Genesis 2:5
neither wild plants nor grains were growing on the earth. For the Lord God had not yet sent rain to water the earth, and there were no people to cultivate the soil.

Genesis 2:8
Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there he placed the man he had made.

Genesis 2:11
The first branch, called the Pishon, flowed around the entire land of Havilah, where gold is found.

Genesis 2:13
The second branch, called the Gihon, flowed around the entire land of Cush.

Exodus 20:11
For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

Exodus 31:17
It is a permanent sign of my covenant with the people of Israel. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and was refreshed.'"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I said in mine heart,.... He communed with his heart, he thought and reasoned within himself, and came to this resolution in his own mind; that since he could not find happiness in natural wisdom and knowledge, he would seek for it elsewhere, even in pleasure; in which, he observed, some men placed their happiness; or, however, sought for it there: or, "I said to my heart", as the Syriac version;

Go to now; or, "go, I pray thee" u listen to what I am about to say, and pursue the track I shall now point out to thee;

I will prove thee with mirth; with those things which will cause mirth, joy, and pleasure; and try whether any happiness can be enjoyed this way, since it could not be had in wisdom and knowledge. Jarchi and Aben Ezra render it, "I will mingle", wine with water, or with spices; or, "I will pour out", wine in plenty to drink of, "with joy", and to promote mirth: but the Targum, Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, interpret it as we do, and which sense Aben Ezra makes mention of;

therefore enjoy pleasure; which man is naturally a lover of; he was so in his state of innocency, and this was the bait that was laid for him, and by which he was drawn into sin; and now he loves, lives in, and serves sinful pleasures; which are rather imaginary than real, and last but for a season, and end in bitterness: but such sordid lusts and pleasures are not here meant; Solomon was too wise and good a man to give into these, as the "summum bonum"; or ever to think there could be any happiness in them, or even to make a trial of them for that purpose: not criminal pleasures, or an impure, sottish, and epicurean life, are here intended; but manly, rational, and lawful pleasures, for no other are mentioned in the detail of particulars following; and, in the pursuit of the whole, he was guided and governed by his wisdom, and that remained in him, Ecclesiastes 2:3. It may be rendered, "therefore see good" w; look upon all the good, pleasant, and delectable things of life; and enjoy them in such a manner as, if possible, happiness may be attained in them;

and, behold, this also [is] vanity; it will be found, by making the experiment, that there is no solid and substantial happiness in it, as it was by himself.

u לכה נא "age, quaeso", Tigurine version, Vatablus, Rambachius. w וראה בטוב "et vide in bonum", Montanus; "et vide bonum", Vatablus, Mercerus, Cocceius, Gejerus; "fraere bono", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Drusius, Amama, Rambachius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Solomon’s trial of God’s second gift, namely, riches, and the enjoyment which riches supply; this brought him to the sane result (compare Ecclesiastes 1:12).

Comparing Solomon’s action with Luke 12:16-21, it must be remembered that Solomon’s object was the acquisition of wisdom, not self-indulgence, and that he did not fail to look forward to the certainty of death overtaking him.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER II

The vanity of human courses in the works of pleasure,

planting, equipage, amassing wealth, c., 1-11.

Wisdom preferable to folly, 12-14

yet little difference between the wise and the foolish in

the events of life, 15-17.

The vanity of amassing wealth for heirs, when whether they

will be foolish or wise cannot be ascertained, 18-21.

There is much sorrow in the labour of man, 22, 23.

We should enjoy what the providence of God gives, 25, 26.

NOTES ON CHAP. I

Verse Ecclesiastes 2:1. I will prove thee with mirth — This is well expressed by the author so often referred to. Having tried speculative knowledge in vain, passion and appetite whisper, -

"From the rugged thorny road

Of wisdom, which so ill repays thy toil,

Turn back, and enter pleasure's flowery paths.

Go, take thy fill of joy; to passion give

The reins; nor let one serious thought restrain

What youth and affluence prompt."