Ecclesiastes 2:2-4

English Standard Version

²I ^(A)said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” ³I ^(B)searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on ^(C)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 ^(D)built houses and planted ^(E)vineyards for myself.

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Ecclesiastes 2:2-4

New International Version

²“Laughter,”^(A) I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” ³I tried cheering myself with wine,^(B) and embracing folly^(C)—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.

⁴I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself^(D) and planted vineyards.^(E)

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Ecclesiastes 2:2-4

New King James Version

²I said of laughter—“Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?” ³^(A)I searched in my heart how ^[a]to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was ^(B)good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives.

⁴I made my works great, I built myself ^(C)houses, and planted myself vineyards.

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Footnotes

Ecclesiastes 2:3 Lit. to draw my flesh

Ecclesiastes 2:2-4

New American Standard Bible

²^(A)I said of laughter, “It is senseless,” and of pleasure, “What does this accomplish?” ³I explored with my ^[a]mind how to ^(B)refresh my body with wine while my ^[b]mind was guiding me wisely; and how to seize ^(C)foolishness, until I could see ^(D)what good there is for the sons of mankind ^[c]to do under heaven for the few ^[d]years of their lives. ⁴I enlarged my works: I ^(E)built houses for myself, I planted ^(F)vineyards for myself;