These words, which I am ordering you today, are to be on your heart; and you are to teach them carefully to your children. You are to talk about them when you sit at home, when you are traveling on the road, when you lie down and when you get up. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)
BIBLES
King James Version (1769 Pure Cambridge Edition) and JPS Tanakh (1917).
Both texts are in the public domain. Some original names have been restored
Ecclesiastes 2
Tanakh 26 verses
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1
I said in my : ‘Come now, I will try thee with mirth, and enjoy pleasure’; and, behold, this also was vanity.
Cross references (24)
Luke 12:19 Ecclesiastes 8:15 James 4:13 Isaiah 50:11 James 5:5 Ecclesiastes 11:9 Ecclesiastes 1:16-17 Titus 3:3 Luke 16:19 2 Kings 5:5 Genesis 11:3-4 Psalm 27:8 Ecclesiastes 2:15 Psalm 14:1 Psalm 10:6 Ecclesiastes 3:17-18 Revelation 18:7-8 Psalm 30:6-7 Genesis 11:7 Luke 16:23 Isaiah 50:5 James 5:1 Ecclesiastes 7:4 Isaiah 5:5 -
2
I said of laughter: ‘It is mad’; and of mirth: ‘What doth it accomplish?’
Cross references (5)
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3
I searched in my how to pamper my with wine, and, my conducting itself with wisdom, how yet to lay hold on folly, till I might see which it was best for the sons of men that they should do under the the few days of their life.
Cross references (17)
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4
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
Cross references (17)
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5
I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit;
Cross references (5)
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6
I made me pools of water, to water therefrom the wood springing up with trees;
Cross references (4)
- 7 I acquired men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that were before me in ;
- 8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and treasure such as kings and the provinces have as their own; I got me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, women very many.
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9
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in ; also my wisdom stood me in stead.
Cross references (7)
- 10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my from any joy, for my had joy of all my labour; and this was my portion from all my labour.
- 11 Then 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 a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
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12
And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness and folly; for what can the man do that cometh after the ? even that which hath been already done.
Cross references (3)
- 13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
- 14 The wise man, his eyes are in his head; But the fool walketh in darkness. And I also perceived that one event happeneth to them all.
- 15 Then said I in my : ‘As it happeneth to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?’ Then I said in my , that this also is vanity.
- 16 For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will long ago have been forgotten. And how must the wise man die even as the fool!
- 17 So I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.
- 18 And I hated all my labour wherein I laboured under the sun, seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
- 19 And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
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20
Therefore I turned about to cause my to despair concerning all the labour wherein I had laboured under the sun.
Cross references (6)
- 21 For there is a man whose labour is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
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22
For what hath a man of all his labour, and of the striving of his , wherein he laboureth under the sun?
Cross references (19)
- 23 For all his days are pains, and his occupation vexation; yea, even in the night his taketh not rest. This also is vanity.
- 24 There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his enjoy pleasure for his labour. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of .
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25
For who will eat, or who will enjoy, if not I?
Cross references (2)
- 26 For to the man that is good in His sight He giveth wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner He giveth the task, to gather and to heap up, that he may leave to him that is good in the sight of . This also is vanity and a striving after wind.