²I said of laughter, “It is folly!” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”^d ³I also explored^e the effects of indulging my flesh^f with wine. My mind guiding me with wisdom, I investigated^g folly so that I might discover what is good under heaven^h for humansⁱ to do during the days of their lives.^j

Read in Logos

Footnotes

dLiterally “What does it give?”
eLiterally “I searched in my mind”
fLiterally “to cheer my flesh”
gLiterally “laid hold of”
hFollows MT; two medieval Hebrew manuscripts, LXX, Peshitta read, “under the sun,” cf. 1:3, 9, etc.
iLiterally “the sons of the man”
jLiterally “the number of the days of their lives”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

I said about laughter, “It is madness,” and about pleasure, “What does this accomplish?” I explored with my mind the pull of wine on my body—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—and how to grasp folly, until I could see what is good for people to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

NLTNew Living Translation

So I said, “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?” After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world.

KJV 1900King James Version

I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? 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.

Public Domain