Ecclesiastes 2:1

World English Bible (2000)

I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with mirth: therefore enjoy pleasure;" and behold, this also was vanity.

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Referenced Verses

  • Luke 12:19 : 19 I will tell my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, be merry."'
  • Eccl 8:15 : 15 Then I commended mirth, because a man has no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be joyful: for that will accompany him in his labor all the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.
  • Eccl 11:9 : 9 Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.
  • Isa 5:5 : 5 Now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away its hedge, and it will be eaten up. I will break down its wall of it, and it will be trampled down.
  • Isa 50:5 : 5 The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away backward.
  • Isa 50:11 : 11 Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who adorn yourselves with torches around yourselves; walk in the flame of your fire, and among the brands that you have kindled. You shall have this of my hand; you shall lie down in sorrow.
  • Luke 16:19 : 19 "Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day.
  • Luke 16:23 : 23 In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom.
  • Titus 3:3 : 3 For we were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
  • Jas 4:13 : 13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow let's go into this city, and spend a year there, trade, and make a profit."
  • Jas 5:1 : 1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming on you.
  • Jas 5:5 : 5 You have lived delicately on the earth, and taken your pleasure. You have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter.
  • Rev 18:7-8 : 7 However much she glorified herself, and grew wanton, so much give her of torment and mourning. For she says in her heart, 'I sit a queen, and am no widow, and will in no way see mourning.' 8 Therefore in one day her plagues will come: death, mourning, and famine; and she will be utterly burned with fire; for the Lord God who has judged her is strong.
  • Gen 11:3-4 : 3 They said one to another, "Come, let's make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. 4 They said, "Come, let's build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let's make ourselves a name, lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth."
  • Gen 11:7 : 7 Come, let's go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."
  • 2 Kgs 5:5 : 5 The king of Syria said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." He departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of clothing.
  • Ps 10:6 : 6 He says in his heart, "I shall not be shaken. For generations I shall have no trouble."
  • Ps 14:1 : 1 The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt. They have done abominable works. There is none who does good.
  • Ps 27:8 : 8 When you said, "Seek my face," my heart said to you, "I will seek your face, Yahweh."
  • Ps 30:6-7 : 6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never be moved." 7 You, Yahweh, when you favored me, made my mountain stand strong; but when you hid your face, I was troubled.
  • Eccl 1:16-17 : 16 I said to myself, "Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge." 17 I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.
  • Eccl 2:15 : 15 Then I said in my heart, "As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?" Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.
  • Eccl 3:17-18 : 17 I said in my heart, "God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work." 18 I said in my heart, "As for the sons of men, God tests them, so that they may see that they themselves are like animals.
  • Eccl 7:4 : 4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

Similar Verses (AI)

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

  • Eccl 2:2-4
    3 verses
    87%

    2 I said of laughter, "It is foolishness;" and of mirth, "What does it accomplish?"

    3 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.

    4 I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.

  • Eccl 2:15
    83%

    15 Then I said in my heart, "As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?" Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.

  • Eccl 1:16-17
    2 verses
    81%

    16 I said to myself, "Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge."

    17 I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.

  • Eccl 2:8-13
    6 verses
    81%

    8 I also gathered silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men--musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

    9 So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.

    10 Whatever my eyes desired, I didn't keep from them. I didn't withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor.

    11 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.

    12 I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly: for what can the king's successor do? Just that which has been done long ago.

    13 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.

  • Eccl 1:1-3
    3 verses
    80%

    1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

    2 "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher; "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity."

    3 What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?

  • Eccl 8:14-16
    3 verses
    80%

    14 There is a vanity which is done on the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked. Again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

    15 Then I commended mirth, because a man has no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be joyful: for that will accompany him in his labor all the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.

    16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on the earth (for also there is that neither day nor night sees sleep with his eyes),

  • Eccl 2:19-26
    8 verses
    79%

    19 Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

    20 Therefore I began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun.

    21 For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.

    22 For what has a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart, in which he labors under the sun?

    23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

    24 There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.

    25 For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?

    26 For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

  • Eccl 1:13-14
    2 verses
    79%

    13 I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

    14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

  • Eccl 3:12
    78%

    12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live.

  • Eccl 7:25
    77%

    25 I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.

  • Eccl 3:22
    77%

    22 Therefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion: for who can bring him to see what will be after him?

  • Eccl 2:17
    77%

    17 So I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

  • Eccl 12:8
    77%

    8 "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher. "All is vanity!"

  • Eccl 11:8-10
    3 verses
    76%

    8 Yes, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.

    9 Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

    10 Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

  • Eccl 4:7
    76%

    7 Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.

  • Eccl 3:18
    76%

    18 I said in my heart, "As for the sons of men, God tests them, so that they may see that they themselves are like animals.

  • Eccl 9:9
    75%

    9 Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity: for that is your portion in life, and in your labor in which you labor under the sun.

  • Eccl 6:9
    74%

    9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

  • Eccl 6:11
    74%

    11 For there are many words that create vanity. What does that profit man?

  • Prov 14:13
    73%

    13 Even in laughter the heart may be sorrowful, and mirth may end in heaviness.

  • Eccl 7:6
    73%

    6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.

  • Eccl 7:4
    73%

    4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

  • Eccl 4:4
    73%

    4 Then I saw all the labor and achievement that is the envy of a man's neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

  • Eccl 8:10
    73%

    10 So I saw the wicked buried. Indeed they came also from holiness. They went and were forgotten in the city where they did this. This also is vanity.

  • Eccl 4:16
    72%

    16 There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was--yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

  • Eccl 5:18
    72%

    18 Behold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, in which he labors under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion.

  • Eccl 3:10
    72%

    10 I have seen the burden which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

  • Eccl 9:7
    72%

    7 Go your way--eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works.