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1. I said to myself, "I will try having fun. I will enjoy myself." But I found that this is also useless.
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1. I H589 said H559 in mine heart H3820 , Go to H1980 now H4994 , I will prove H5254 thee with mirth H8057 , therefore enjoy H7200 pleasure H2896 : and, behold H2009 , this H1931 also H1571 is vanity H1892 .
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2. It is foolish to laugh all the time, and having fun doesn't accomplish anything.
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2. I said H559 of laughter H7814 , It is mad H1984 : and of mirth H8057 , What H4100 doeth H6213 it H2090 ?
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3. I decided to cheer myself up with wine while my mind was still thinking wisely. I wanted to find a way to enjoy myself and see what was good for people to do during their few days of life.
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3. I sought H8446 in mine heart H3820 to give H4900 H853 myself H1320 unto wine H3196 , yet acquainting H5090 mine heart H3820 with wisdom H2451 ; and to lay hold H270 on folly H5531 , till H5704 H834 I might see H7200 what H335 was that H2088 good H2896 for the sons H1121 of men H120 , which H834 they should do H6213 under H8478 the heaven H8064 all H4557 the days H3117 of their life H2416 .
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4. Then I did great things: I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.
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4. I made me great H1431 works H4639 ; I built H1129 me houses H1004 ; I planted H5193 me vineyards H3754 :
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5. I made gardens and parks, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.
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5. I made H6213 me gardens H1593 and orchards H6508 , and I planted H5193 trees H6086 in them of all H3605 kind of fruits H6529 :
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6. I made pools of water for myself and used them to water my growing trees.
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6. I made H6213 me pools H1295 of water H4325 , to water H8248 therewith H4480 the wood H3293 that bringeth forth H6779 trees H6086 :
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7. I bought male and female slaves, and slaves were also born in my house. I had large herds and flocks, more than anyone in Jerusalem had ever had before.
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7. I got H7069 me servants H5650 and maidens H8198 , and had H1961 servants born H1121 in my house H1004 ; also H1571 I had H1961 great H7235 possessions H4735 of great H1241 and small cattle H6629 above all H4480 H3605 that were H7945 H1961 in Jerusalem H3389 before H6440 me:
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8. I also gathered silver and gold for myself, treasures from kings and other areas. I had male and female singers and all the women a man could ever want.
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8. I gathered H3664 me also H1571 silver H3701 and gold H2091 , and the peculiar treasure H5459 of kings H4428 and of the provinces H4082 : I got H6213 me men singers H7891 and women singers H7891 , and the delights H8588 of the sons H1121 of men H120 , as musical instruments H7705 H7705 , and that of all sorts.
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9. I became very famous, even greater than anyone who had lived in Jerusalem before me. My wisdom helped me in all this.
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9. So I was great H1431 , and increased more H3254 than all H4480 H3605 that were H7945 H1961 before H6440 me in Jerusalem H3389 : also H637 my wisdom H2451 remained H5975 with me.
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10. Anything I saw and wanted, I got for myself; I did not miss any pleasure I desired. I was pleased with everything I did, and this pleasure was the reward for all my hard work.
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10. And whatsoever H3605 H834 mine eyes H5869 desired H7592 I kept H680 not H3808 from H4480 them , I withheld H4513 not H3808 H853 my heart H3820 from any H4480 H3605 joy H8057 ; for H3588 my heart H3820 rejoiced H8056 in all H4480 H3605 my labor H5999 : and this H2088 was H1961 my portion H2506 of all H4480 H3605 my labor H5999 .
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11. But then I looked at what I had done, and I thought about all the hard work. Suddenly I realized it was useless, like chasing the wind. There is nothing to gain from anything we do here on earth.
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11. Then I H589 looked H6437 on all H3605 the works H4639 that my hands had wrought H7945 H6213 H3027 , and on the labor H5999 that I had labored H7945 H5998 to do H6213 : and, behold H2009 , all H3605 was vanity H1892 and vexation H7469 of spirit H7307 , and there was no H369 profit H3504 under H8478 the sun H8121 .
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12. Then I began to think again about being wise, and also about being foolish and doing crazy things. But after all, what more can anyone do? He can't do more than what the other king has already done.
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12. And I H589 turned H6437 myself to behold H7200 wisdom H2451 , and madness H1947 , and folly H5531 : for H3588 what H4100 can the man H120 do that cometh H7945 H935 after H310 the king H4428 ? even H853 that which H834 hath been already H3528 done H6213 .
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13. I saw that being wise is certainly better than being foolish, just as light is better than darkness.
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13. Then I H589 saw H7200 that H7945 H3426 wisdom H2451 excelleth H3504 folly H4480 H5531 , as far as light H216 excelleth H3504 darkness H4480 H2822 .
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14. Wise people see where they are going, but fools walk around in the dark. Yet I saw that both wise and foolish people end the same way.
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14. The wise man H2450 's eyes H5869 are in his head H7218 ; but the fool H3684 walketh H1980 in darkness H2822 : and I myself H589 perceived H3045 also H1571 that one event H7945 H4745 H259 happeneth H7136 to H854 them all H3605 .
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15. I thought to myself, "What happens to a fool will happen to me, too, so what is the reward for being wise?" I said to myself, "Being wise is also useless."
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15. Then said H559 I H589 in my heart H3820 , As it happeneth H4745 to the fool H3684 , so it happeneth H7136 even H1571 to me ; and why H4100 was I H589 then H227 more H3148 wise H2449 ? Then I said H1696 in my heart H3820 , that this H2088 also H7945 H1571 is vanity H1892 .
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16. The wise person and the fool will both die, and no one will remember either one for long. In the future, both will be forgotten.
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16. For H3588 there is no H369 remembrance H2146 of the wise H2450 more than H5973 of the fool H3684 forever H5769 ; seeing that which now H7945 H3528 is in the days H3117 to come H935 shall all H3605 be forgotten H7911 . And how H349 dieth H4191 the wise H2450 man ? as H5973 the fool H3684 .
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17. So I hated life. It made me sad to think that everything here on earth is useless, like chasing the wind.
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17. Therefore I hated H8130 H853 life H2416 ; because H3588 the work H4639 that is wrought H7945 H6213 under H8478 the sun H8121 is grievous H7451 unto H5921 me: for H3588 all H3605 is vanity H1892 and vexation H7469 of spirit H7307 .
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18. I hated all the things I had worked for here on earth, because I must leave them to someone who will live after me.
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18. Yea, I H589 hated H8130 H853 all H3605 my labor H5999 which I H7945 H589 had taken H6001 under H8478 the sun H8121 : because I should leave H7945 H5117 it unto the man H120 that shall be H7945 H1961 after H310 me.
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19. Someone else will control everything for which I worked so hard here on earth, and I don't know if he will be wise or foolish. This is also useless.
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19. And who H4310 knoweth H3045 whether he shall be H1961 a wise H2450 man or H176 a fool H5530 ? yet shall he have rule H7980 over all H3605 my labor H5999 wherein I have labored H7945 H5998 , and wherein I have showed myself wise H7945 H2449 under H8478 the sun H8121 . This H2088 is also H1571 vanity H1892 .
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20. So I became sad about all the hard work I had done here on earth.
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20. Therefore I H589 went about H5437 to cause H853 my heart H3820 to despair H2976 of H5921 all H3605 the labor H5999 which I took H7945 H5998 under H8478 the sun H8121 .
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21. People can work hard using all their wisdom, knowledge, and skill, but they will die, and other people will get the things for which they worked. They did not do the work, but they will get everything. This is also unfair and useless.
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21. For H3588 there is H3426 a man H120 whose labor H7945 H5999 is in wisdom H2451 , and in knowledge H1847 , and in equity H3788 ; yet to a man H120 that hath not H7945 H3808 labored H5998 therein shall he leave H5414 it for his portion H2506 . This H2088 also H1571 is vanity H1892 and a great H7227 evil H7451 .
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22. What do people get for all their work and struggling here on earth?
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22. For H3588 what H4100 hath H1933 man H120 of all H3605 his labor H5999 , and of the vexation H7475 of his heart H3820 , wherein he H7945 H1931 hath labored H6001 under H8478 the sun H8121 ?
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23. All of their lives their work is full of pain and sorrow, and even at night their minds don't rest. This is also useless.
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23. For H3588 all H3605 his days H3117 are sorrows H4341 , and his travail H6045 grief H3708 ; yea H1571 , his heart H3820 taketh not H3808 rest H7901 in the night H3915 . This H2088 is also H1571 vanity H1892 .
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24. The best that people can do is eat, drink, and enjoy their work. I saw that even this comes from God,
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24. There is nothing H369 better H2896 for a man H120 , than that he should eat H7945 H398 and drink H8354 , and that he should make his soul H7200 H853 H5315 good H2896 in his labor H5999 . This H2090 also H1571 I H589 saw H7200 , that H3588 it H1931 was from the hand H4480 H3027 of God H430 .
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25. because no one can eat or enjoy life without him.
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25. For H3588 who H4310 can eat H398 , or who H4310 else can hasten H2363 hereunto , more H2351 than H4480 I?
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26. If people please God, God will give them wisdom, knowledge, and joy. But sinners will get only the work of gathering and storing wealth that they will have to give to the ones who please God. So all their work is useless, like chasing the wind.
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26. For H3588 God giveth H5414 to a man H120 that is good H7945 H2896 in his sight H6440 wisdom H2451 , and knowledge H1847 , and joy H8057 : but to the sinner H2398 he giveth H5414 travail H6045 , to gather H622 and to heap up H3664 , that he may give H5414 to him that is good H2896 before H6440 God H430 . This H2088 also H1571 is vanity H1892 and vexation H7469 of spirit H7307 .
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