King James Version

Ecclesiastes 2:1

I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.

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Hebrew

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אָמַ֤רְתִּֽיamartisayאָמַרverb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “say”, a completed actionH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אֲנִי֙animineאֲנִיpronoun, personal, 1st person, common, singular — “mine”H589II, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, [idiom] which, [idiom] who.בְּלִבִּ֔יbelibiin comfortablyלֵבpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “in comfortably”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3820the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything[phrase] care for, comfortably, consent, [idiom] considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart(-ed), [idiom] heed, [idiom] I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), [idiom] regard(-ed), [idiom]…לְכָהlekhahcarryיָלַךְverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular, paragogic he — “carry”, a commandH3212to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses)[idiom] again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, [phrase] follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, [phrase] pursue,…נָּ֛אnaI beseech theeנָאparticle, interjection — “I beseech thee”H4994'I pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the Imperative or Future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunctionI beseech (pray) thee (you), go to, now, oh.אֲנַסְּכָ֛הanaskhahadventureנָסָהverb, piel, cohortative, 1st person, common, singular, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “adventure”, a determination or requestH5254to test; by implication, to attemptadventure, assay, prove, tempt, try.בְשִׂמְחָ֖הvesimchahin gladnessשִׂמְחָהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “in gladness”, the ordinary formH8057blithesomeness or glee, (religious or festival)[idiom] exceeding(-ly), gladness, joy(-fulness), mirth, pleasure, rejoice(-ing).וּרְאֵ֣הureehand seeרָאָהconjunction, verb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and see”, a commandH7200to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), m…בְט֑וֹבvetovin goodטוֹבpreposition, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “in good”, the ordinary formH2896good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, [idiom] fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, [idiom] most, pleasant,…וְהִנֵּ֥הvehinehand loהִנֵּהconjunction, particle, demonstrative — “and lo”H2009lo!behold, lo, see.גַםgamalsoגַּםadverb — “also”H1571properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...andagain, alike, also, (so much) as (soon), both (so)...and, but, either...or, even, for all, (in) likewise (manner), moreover, nay...neither, one, then(-refore), though, what, with, yea.ה֖וּאhuas for herהוּאpronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “as for her”H1931he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or arehe, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.הָֽבֶלhavelvanityהֶבֶלnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “vanity”, the ordinary formH1892emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb[idiom] altogether, vain, vanity.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

I said in my heart: 'Come now, I will try thee with mirth, and enjoy pleasure'; and, behold, this also was vanity.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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

Young’s Literal Translation

I said in my heart, 'Pray, come, I try thee with mirth, and look thou on gladness;' and lo, even it [is] vanity.

World English Bible

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

Darby Translation

I said in my heart, Come now, I will try thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure. But behold, this also is vanity.

Douay-Rheims

I said in my heart: I will go, and abound with delights, and enjoy good things. And I saw that this also was vanity.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

I said in my heart: 'Come now, I will try thee with mirth, and enjoy pleasure'; and, behold, this also was vanity.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth, and behold thou good: and, behold, this is also vanity.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Εἶπον ἐγὼ ἐν καρδίᾳ μου, δεῦρο δὴ πειράσω σε ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ, καὶ ἴδε ἐν ἀγαθῷ· καὶ ἰδοὺ καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης.