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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Ecclesiastes 2 ASV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/ecclesiastes/2.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/ecclesiastes/2-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">ASV</a> > Ecclesiastes 2</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../ecclesiastes/1.htm" title="Ecclesiastes 1">◄</a> Ecclesiastes 2 <a href="../ecclesiastes/3.htm" title="Ecclesiastes 3">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">American Standard Version</div><div class="chap"><p class="hdg">The Futility of Pleasures</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also was vanity. <span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>I said of laughter, It is mad; and of mirth, What doeth it? <span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>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. <span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards; <span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit; <span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>I made me pools of water, to water therefrom the forest where trees were reared; <span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>I bought men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that were before me in Jerusalem; <span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>I gathered me also silver and gold, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces; I gat me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, musical instruments, and that of all sorts.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. <span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor; and this was my portion from all my labor. <span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>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.</p> <p class="hdg">The Wise and the Foolish</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been done long ago. <span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness. <span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness: and yet I perceived that one event happeneth to them all. <span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then said I in my heart, that this also is vanity. <span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. And how doth the wise man die even as the fool! <span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>So I hated life, because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.</p> <p class="hdg">The Futility of Work</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>And I hated all my labor wherein I labored under the sun, seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me. <span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he have rule over all my labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. <span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor wherein I had labored under the sun. <span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skilfulness; yet to a man that hath not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil. <span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>For what hath a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he laboreth under the sun? <span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>For all his days are but'sorrows, and his travail is grief; yea, even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>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. <span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? <span class="reftext"><a href="/ecclesiastes/2-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>For to the man that pleaseth him God giveth wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that pleaseth God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.</p></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">American Standard Version, 1901<br /><br /><a href="//bereanbible.com">Section Headings Courtesy BereanBible.com<br />© 2013, 2014 Used by Permission</a><span class="p"><br /><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/">Bible Hub</a></div></div></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="../ecclesiastes/1.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Ecclesiastes 1"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Ecclesiastes 1" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../ecclesiastes/3.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Ecclesiastes 3"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Ecclesiastes 3" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="rightbox"><div class="padright"><div id="pic"><iframe width="100%" height="860" scrolling="no" src="//biblescan.com/mpad/ecclesiastes/2-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></div></div><div id="rightbox4"><div class="padright2"><div id="spons1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td class="sp1"><iframe src="//biblemenus.com/adframe120.htm" width="122" height="602" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe src="//biblemenus.com/adframebhsh.htm" width="122" height="250" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></div> <div id="bot"><div align="center" style="background-color:#F2FAFF"><br /><br /><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>  <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="6710025936" data-ad-format="auto"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script></td></tr></table><br /><br /><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>  <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="6710025936" data-ad-format="auto"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script></td></tr></table></div><br /><br /> </div><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="//biblehu.com/botmenubhnm2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe><div align="center"><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span></div></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>