Ecclesiastes 2:11

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Yet when I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, behold, everything was meaningless—a chasing after the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun.

Additional Resources

Other Translations

  • King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

    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 vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

  • KJV1611 – Modern English

    Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor I had toiled to do; and behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

  • King James Version 1611 (Original)

    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 vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

  • American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

    Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

  • King James Version with Strong's Numbers

    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 vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

  • Coverdale Bible (1535)

    But whan I considered all the workes yt my handes had wrought, and all the labours that I had taken therin: lo, all was but vanite and vexacion of mynde, & nothinge of eny value vnder ye Sonne.

  • Geneva Bible (1560)

    Then I looked on all my workes that mine hands had wrought, and on the trauaile that I had laboured to doe: and beholde, all is vanitie and vexation of the spirit: and there is no profite vnder the sunne.

  • Bishops' Bible (1568)

    But when I considered all the workes that my handes had wrought, and all the labour that I had taken therin: lo all was but vanitie and vexation of mynde, and nothing of any value vnder the sunne.

  • Authorized King James Version (1611)

    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 vexation of spirit, and [there was] no profit under the sun.

  • Webster's Bible (1833)

    Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

  • Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

    and I have looked on all my works that my hands have done, and on the labour that I have laboured to do, and lo, the whole `is' vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun!

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

  • Bible in Basic English (1941)

    Then I saw all the works which my hands had made, and everything I had been working to do; and I saw that all was to no purpose and desire for wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

  • World English Bible (2000)

    Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and behold, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

  • NET Bible® (New English Translation)

    Yet when I reflected on everything I had accomplished and on all the effort that I had expended to accomplish it, I concluded:“All these achievements and possessions are ultimately profitless– like chasing the wind! There is nothing gained from them on earth.”

Referenced Verses

  • Eccl 1:14 : 14 I have seen all the deeds that are done under the sun; they are all meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
  • Eccl 1:3 : 3 What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?
  • 1 John 2:16-17 : 16 For all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God remains forever.
  • Gen 1:31 : 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
  • Exod 39:43 : 43 Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the LORD had commanded. So Moses blessed them.
  • Eccl 2:17-23 : 17 So I hated life, because the work done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 18 I hated all my toil under the sun because I must leave it to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will rule over all the fruit of my labor that I have worked for under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So I turned my heart to despair over all the hard work with which I had labored under the sun. 21 For there is a person who labors with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, but then must leave everything to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What does a person gain from all their labor and from the striving of their heart under the sun? 23 All their days are full of sorrow, and their work is filled with grief; even at night their mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.
  • Hab 2:13 : 13 Is it not from the LORD of Hosts that peoples labor for fire and nations grow weary for nothing?
  • 1 Tim 6:6 : 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Eccl 1:13-15
    3 verses
    91%

    13I set my heart to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a burdensome task God has given to the human race to occupy themselves with!

    14I have seen all the deeds that are done under the sun; they are all meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

    15What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.

  • Eccl 2:17-26
    10 verses
    89%

    17So I hated life, because the work done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

    18I hated all my toil under the sun because I must leave it to the one who comes after me.

    19And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will rule over all the fruit of my labor that I have worked for under the sun. This too is meaningless.

    20So I turned my heart to despair over all the hard work with which I had labored under the sun.

    21For there is a person who labors with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, but then must leave everything to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.

    22What does a person gain from all their labor and from the striving of their heart under the sun?

    23All their days are full of sorrow, and their work is filled with grief; even at night their mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.

    24There is nothing better for a person than to eat and drink and find enjoyment in their work. This too, I realized, is from the hand of God.

    25For who can eat or who can enjoy life apart from Him?

    26To the person who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner, He gives the task of gathering and storing wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

  • Eccl 1:2-3
    2 verses
    87%

    2“Utterly meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”

    3What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?

  • Eccl 4:7-8
    2 verses
    86%

    7Again, I turned and saw meaninglessness under the sun.

    8There was a man all alone. He had no son or brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. 'For whom am I toiling,' he asked, 'and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?' This too is meaningless—a miserable business!

  • Eccl 4:3-4
    2 verses
    86%

    3But better than both is the one who has not yet been born, who has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.

    4And I saw that all toil and all skill in work are driven by one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

  • Eccl 2:10
    85%

    10Anything my eyes desired, I did not withhold from them; I did not keep my heart from any pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, for this was my reward for all my efforts.

  • Eccl 2:12
    84%

    12So I turned my attention to consider wisdom, madness, and folly. For what can anyone do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done.

  • Eccl 12:8
    82%

    8'Utter futility,' says the Teacher. 'Everything is futile!'

  • Eccl 1:17
    82%

    17Then I set my heart to understand wisdom, as well as madness and folly, but I learned that this too is a chasing after the wind.

  • Eccl 4:15-16
    2 verses
    82%

    15I saw all the living who walk under the sun following the youth, the second one, who replaces him.

    16There is no end to all the people who were before them, yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

  • Eccl 3:9-10
    2 verses
    81%

    9What does the worker gain from all their toil?

    10I have seen the burden that God has laid on the human race.

  • Eccl 2:1-4
    4 verses
    81%

    1I said to myself, 'Come now, I will test you with pleasure to see what is good.' But behold, this too was meaningless.

    2I said of laughter, 'It is madness,' and of joy, 'What does it accomplish?'

    3I explored with my heart how to cheer my body with wine, while my mind guided me with wisdom, and how to embrace folly until I could see what is good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.

    4I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards.

  • Eccl 8:14-17
    4 verses
    81%

    14There is a futility that takes place on the earth: righteous people receive what the wicked deserve, and wicked people receive what the righteous deserve. I said, 'This too is vanity.'

    15So I praised enjoyment, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat, drink, and be glad. This will accompany them in their toil through the days of life that God has given them under the sun.

    16When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to observe the work that is done on earth, even though people do not see sleep with their eyes day or night,

    17then I saw all the work of God, that no one can understand the work that is done under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can comprehend it. Even if the wise claim to know, they cannot truly understand it.

  • Eccl 3:22
    80%

    22So I saw that there is nothing better than for a person to rejoice in their work, for that is their lot. Who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

  • Eccl 6:11-12
    2 verses
    80%

    11The more words, the more meaningless—and what advantage does that bring to anyone?

    12For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few days of their fleeting life? They pass like a shadow. Who can tell them what will happen under the sun after they are gone?

  • Eccl 2:15
    80%

    15Then I said in my heart, 'What happens to the fool will also happen to me. So why have I been so very wise?' And I concluded in my heart, 'This too is meaningless.'

  • Eccl 6:9
    79%

    9Better is what the eyes see than the wandering of desire. This too is meaningless and a chasing after the wind.

  • Eccl 5:16
    79%

    16Throughout his days, he eats in darkness, with great frustration, sickness, and anger.

  • Eccl 9:10
    78%

    10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

  • Eccl 1:8-9
    2 verses
    78%

    8All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.

    9What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.

  • Eccl 8:9-10
    2 verses
    78%

    9I observed all this as I considered all the work done under the sun: a time when one man has power over another to hurt them.

    10Then I saw the wicked buried, who used to go in and out of the holy place, but now they are forgotten in the city where they acted this way. This too is meaningless.

  • Eccl 3:12
    77%

    12I know that there is nothing better for people than to rejoice and to do good while they live.

  • Eccl 9:1
    76%

    1So I reflected on all this and set my heart to examine it: that the righteous, the wise, and their deeds are in the hand of God. People do not know whether love or hatred awaits them; everything lies before them.

  • Eccl 6:1
    76%

    1There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it is great upon humanity.

  • Eccl 6:7
    76%

    7All human toil is for their mouth, yet their appetite is never satisfied.