Parallel Verses
New American Standard Bible
I said
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.
Holman Bible
I said to myself, “Go ahead, I will test you with pleasure;
International Standard Version
I told myself, "I will test you with pleasure, so enjoy yourself." But this was pointless.
A Conservative Version
I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure. And, behold, this also was vanity.
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.
Amplified
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).
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.
Darby Translation
I said in my heart, Come now, I will try thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure. But behold, this also is vanity.
Julia Smith Translation
I Said in my heart, Go now, I will prove thee with gladness, and look thou upon good: and behold, this also vanity.
King James 2000
I said in my heart, Come now, I will test you with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
Lexham Expanded Bible
I said {to myself}, "Come! I will test pleasure {to see whether it is worthwhile}." But look, "This also [is] vanity!"
Modern King James verseion
I said in my heart, Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore consider and behold goodness; this also is vanity.
Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale
Then said I thus in my heart, "Now go to, I will take mine ease and have good days." But lo, that was vanity also:
NET Bible
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 Heart English Bible
I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with mirth: therefore enjoy pleasure;" and behold, this also was vanity.
The 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.
Webster
I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and behold, this also is vanity.
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.
Youngs 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.
Themes
worldly Amusements and pleasures » The wicked seek for happiness in
Amusements and worldly pleasures » The wicked seek for happiness in
Emptiness » Emptiness or vanity of the worldly life (ps 3911; 629)
Epicureans » Worldly pleasure sought by the epicureans as the chief aim of life
Epicureans » Doctrines propagated by, familiar to solomon
Happiness » Of the wicked » Is vain
Interlinear
Leb
References
Word Count of 20 Translations in Ecclesiastes 2:1
Verse Info
Context Readings
Qohelet's Investigation Of Self-Indulgence
1 I said
Names
Cross References
Ecclesiastes 8:15
Therefore I commended joy because a man has no better thing under the sun than to eat and to drink and to be merry, for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God gives him under the sun.
Luke 12:19
And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast many goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
Genesis 11:3-4
And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick instead of stone and slime instead of mortar.
Genesis 11:7
Now, let us go down and there confound their language that they may not understand one another's speech.
2 Kings 5:5
And the king of Syria said, Go, depart, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.
Psalm 10:6
He has said in his heart, I shall not be moved, for I shall never be in adversity.
Psalm 14:1
The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is no one that does good.
Psalm 27:8
My heart has spoken unto me from thee, Seek my face. Thy face, O LORD, will I seek.
Psalm 30:6-7
And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.
Ecclesiastes 1:16-17
I communed with my own heart, saying, Behold, I am come to great estate and have gotten more wisdom than all those that have been before me in Jerusalem; and my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
Ecclesiastes 2:15
Then I said in my heart, As it shall happen to the fool, so it shall happen even to me. Why have I worked until now to make myself wiser? Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.
Ecclesiastes 3:17-18
I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time determined to judge every will and regarding everything that is done.
Ecclesiastes 7:4
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
Ecclesiastes 11:9
Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the ways of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
Isaiah 5:5
And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be eaten up; and break down its wall, and it shall be trodden down:
Isaiah 50:5
The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.
Isaiah 50:11
Behold, that all of you kindle fire and are compassed about with sparks; walk in the light of your fire and of the sparks that ye have kindled. From my hand has come this; ye shall be buried in sorrow.
Luke 16:19
There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day;
Luke 16:23
and in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom.
Titus 3:3
For we ourselves also were foolish in another time, rebellious, deceived, serving diverse lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
James 4:13
Come now, ye that say, Today and tomorrow we will go into such a city and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain;
James 5:1
Come now, Oh ye rich, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
James 5:5
Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth and been wanton; ye have refreshed your hearts, as in the day of slaughter of sacrifices.
Revelation 18:7-8
As much as she has glorified herself and lived deliciously, give her that much torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.