Ecclesiastes 2:3

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

I 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.

Additional Resources

Other Translations

  • King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

    I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

  • KJV1611 – Modern English

    I searched in my heart to give myself to wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what is good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives.

  • King James Version 1611 (Original)

    I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

  • American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

    I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding [me] with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their life.

  • King James Version with Strong's Numbers

    I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

  • Coverdale Bible (1535)

    So I thought in my herte, to withdrawe my flesh from wyne, to applye my mynde vnto wy?dome, and to comprehede foolishnes vntill the tyme that (amonge all ye thinges which are vnder ye Sonne) I might se what were best for men to do, so longe as they lyue vnder heauen.

  • Geneva Bible (1560)

    I sought in mine heart to giue my selfe to wine, and to leade mine heart in wisdome, and to take holde of follie, till I might see where is that goodnesse of the children of men, which they enioy vnder the sunne: the whole nomber of the dayes of their life.

  • Bishops' Bible (1568)

    So I thought in my heart to geue my fleshe vnto wine, and agayne to apply my mynde vnto wisdome, and to comprehende foolishnesse: vntyll the tyme that among all the thynges which are vnder the sunne, I myght see what were best for men to do so long as they liue vnder heauen.

  • Authorized King James Version (1611)

    I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what [was] that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

  • Webster's Bible (1833)

    I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives.

  • Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

    I have sought in my heart to draw out with wine my appetite, (and my heart leading in wisdom), and to take hold on folly till that I see where `is' this -- the good to the sons of man of that which they do under the heavens, the number of the days of their lives.

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding `me' with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their life.

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding [me] with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their life.

  • Bible in Basic English (1941)

    I made a search with my heart to give pleasure to my flesh with wine, still guiding my heart with wisdom, and to go after foolish things, so that I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under the heavens all the days of their life.

  • World English Bible (2000)

    I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives.

  • NET Bible® (New English Translation)

    I thought deeply about the effects of indulging myself with wine(all the while my mind was guiding me with wisdom) and the effects of behaving foolishly, so that I might discover what is profitable for people to do on earth during the few days of their lives.

Referenced Verses

  • Prov 20:1 : 1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
  • Eccl 1:17 : 17 Then 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 6:12 : 12 For 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 12:13 : 13 Now that all has been heard, here is the conclusion: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.
  • Prov 31:4-5 : 4 It is not for kings, Lemuel—it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for rulers to crave strong drink. 5 Lest they drink and forget what has been decreed, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.
  • Eph 5:18 : 18 And do not get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled with the Spirit.
  • Matt 6:24 : 24 No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
  • 2 Cor 6:15-17 : 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement can there be between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will dwell among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.' 17 Therefore, 'Come out from among them and be separate,' says the Lord. 'Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.'
  • Eccl 7:18 : 18 It is good to grasp one thing and not let go of the other, for the one who fears God will avoid all extremes.
  • Eccl 7:25 : 25 I turned my mind to understand, to investigate, and to search out wisdom and the meaning of things, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly.
  • Eccl 2:24 : 24 There 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.
  • Eccl 3:12-13 : 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to rejoice and to do good while they live. 13 And also that every person should eat, drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.
  • Prov 23:29-35 : 29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless wounds? Who has bloodshot eyes? 30 Those who linger over wine, who go to sample mixed drinks. 31 Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. 32 In the end, it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. 33 Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart will utter perverse things. 34 You will be like one lying down in the middle of the sea, or like one lying on the top of a mast. 35 'They struck me,' you will say, 'but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When will I wake up so I can look for another drink?'
  • Gen 47:9 : 9 Jacob replied to Pharaoh, 'The days of my sojourning have been one hundred thirty years. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not compare to the years of the lives of my fathers during their sojourning.'
  • 1 Sam 25:36 : 36 When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high spirits and very drunk, so she told him nothing at all until daybreak.
  • Job 14:14 : 14 If someone dies, will they live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come.
  • Ps 90:9-9 : 9 All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a sigh. 10 The span of our life is seventy years—or eighty, if we have strength; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. 11 Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you. 12 Teach us to number our days carefully, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Similar Verses (AI)

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

  • Eccl 1:16-18
    3 verses
    83%

    16I said to myself, 'Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled Jerusalem before me. I have experienced much wisdom and knowledge.'

    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.

    18For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.

  • Eccl 2:1-2
    2 verses
    83%

    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?'

  • Eccl 7:25
    83%

    25I turned my mind to understand, to investigate, and to search out wisdom and the meaning of things, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly.

  • Eccl 1:13-14
    2 verses
    82%

    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.

  • Eccl 2:4
    81%

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

  • Eccl 2:8-17
    10 verses
    80%

    8I amassed silver and gold for myself, the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered male and female singers for myself, and the delights of men—many concubines.

    9I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem, and my wisdom stayed with me.

    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.

    11Yet 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.

    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.

    13I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness.

    14The wise have eyes in their heads, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also realized that the same fate overtakes them both.

    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.'

    16For the wise, like the fool, will not be remembered forever; in the days to come, everything will be forgotten. How does the wise person die? Just like the fool!

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

  • Eccl 2:19-22
    4 verses
    79%

    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?

  • Eccl 8:15-17
    3 verses
    78%

    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 2:24-26
    3 verses
    76%

    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 3:12
    75%

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

  • Eccl 7:4
    74%

    4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

  • Eccl 3:18
    74%

    18I said in my heart concerning the matter of the sons of man, that God is testing them to show them that they are like animals.

  • Eccl 3:22
    73%

    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 9:13
    73%

    13I also saw this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me.

  • Eccl 11:9
    73%

    9Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart be glad in the days of your prime. Follow the ways of your heart and the sights of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

  • Eccl 5:18
    72%

    18Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and enables them to enjoy it, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.

  • Eccl 9:9-10
    2 verses
    72%

    9Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your portion in life and in your hard work under the sun.

    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 9:1
    71%

    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 3:10
    71%

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

  • Eccl 6:12
    71%

    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 7:23
    71%

    23All this I tested by wisdom and said, 'I will be wise,' but it was beyond me.

  • Prov 20:1
    71%

    1Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

  • Prov 31:6
    71%

    6Let beer be for those who are perishing, wine for those who are bitter of heart.

  • Prov 18:2
    71%

    2A fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only in revealing his own thoughts.

  • Eccl 2:6
    71%

    6I made reservoirs of water to irrigate groves of flourishing trees.

  • Eccl 9:3
    71%

    3This is the distressing thing about everything that happens under the sun: the same fate befalls all. Moreover, the hearts of humans are full of evil, and madness resides in their hearts during their lives; and after that, they join the dead.

  • Eccl 4:7
    71%

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

  • Eccl 1:3
    71%

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

  • Prov 23:30
    71%

    30Those who linger over wine, who go to sample mixed drinks.