ECCLESIASTES

Chapter 2

Vanity of Pleasure, Materialism, and Significance of Wisdom

The Futility of Pleasure and Possessions

• 1.
  
  • Hebrew
• 2.
  
  • Hebrew
• 3.
  
  • Hebrew
• 4.
  
  • Hebrew
• 5.
  
  • Hebrew
• 6.
  
  • Hebrew
• 7.
  
  • Hebrew
• 8.
  
  • Hebrew
• 9.
  
  • Hebrew
• 10.
  
  • Hebrew
• 11.
  
  • Hebrew

Wisdom Surpasses Folly

• 12.
  
  • Hebrew
• 13.
  
  • Hebrew
• 14.
  
  • Hebrew
• 15.
  
  • Hebrew
• 16.
  
  • Hebrew
• 17.
  
  • Hebrew

The Futility of Labor

• 18. Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
  
  • Hebrew
    • וְשָׂנֵאתִי אֲנִי אֶת־כָּל־עֲמָלִי שֶׁאֲנִי עָמֵל תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ שֶׁאַנִּיחֶנּוּ לָאָדָם שֶׁיִּהְיֶה אַחֲרָי׃
• 19. And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun, This is also vanity.
  
  • Hebrew
    • וּמִי יוֹדֵעַ הֶחָכָם יִהְיֶה אוֹ סָכָל וְיִשְׁלַט בְּכָל־עֲמָלִי שֶׁעָמַלְתִּי וְשֶׁחָכַמְתִּי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ גַּם־זֶה הָבֶל׃
• 20. Therefore I went about to cause my heart to dispair of all the labour which I took under the sun.
  
  • Hebrew
    • וְסַבּוֹתִי אֲנִי לְיַאֵשׁ אֶת־לִבִּי עַל כָּל־הֶעָמָל שֶׁעָמַלְתִּי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃
• 21. For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
  
  • Hebrew
    • כִּי־יֵשׁ אָדָם שֶׁעֲמָלוֹ בְּחָכְמָה וּבְדַעַת וּבְכִשְׁרוֹן וּלְאָדָם שֶׁלֹּא עָמַל־בּוֹ יִתְּנֶנּוּ חֶלְקוֹ גַּם־זֶה הֶבֶל וְרָעָה רַבָּה׃
• 22. For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?
  
  • Hebrew
    • כִּי מֶה־הֹוֶה לָאָדָם בְּכָל־עֲמָלוֹ וּבְרַעְיוֹן לִבּו שֶׁהוּא עָמֵל תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃
• 23. For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
  
  • Hebrew
    • כִּי כָל־יָמָיו מַכְאֹבִים וָכַעַס עִנְיָנוֹ גַּם־בַּלַּיְלָה לֹא־שָׁכַב לִבּוֹ גַּם־זֶה הֶבֶל הוּא׃
• 24. There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.
  
  • Hebrew
    • אֵין־טוֹב בָּאָדָם שֶׁיֹּאכַל וְשָׁתָה וְהֶרְאָה אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ טוֹב בַּעֲמָלוֹ גַּם־זֹה רָאִיתִי אָנִי כִּי מִיַּד הָאֱלֹהִים הִיא׃
• 25. For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?
  
  • Hebrew
    • כִּי מִי יֹאכַל וּמִי יָחוּשׁ חוּץ מִמֶּנִּי׃
• 26. For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
  
  • Hebrew
    • כִּי לְאָדָם שֶׁטּוֹב לְפָנָיו נָתַן חָכְמָה וְדַעַת וְשִׂמְחָה וְלַחוֹטֶא נָתַן עִנְיָן לֶאֱסוֹף וְלִכְנוֹס לָתֵת לְטוֹב לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים גַּם־זֶה הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ׃