Ecclesiastes 2:3

The Vanity of Pleasure

1 I said ^ain my heart, “Come now, I will test you with ^bmirth; therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, ^cthis also was vanity.

2 I said of laughter—“Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?”

3 ^aI searched in my heart how¹ to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was ^bgood for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives.

4 I made my works great, I built myself ^ahouses, and planted myself vineyards.

5 I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.

6 I made myself water pools from which to¹ water the growing trees of the grove.

7 I acquired male and female servants, and had¹ servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me.

8 ^aI also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and¹ musical instruments of all kinds.

9 ^aSo I became great and¹ excelled ^bmore than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.

10 Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them.
I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure,
For my heart rejoiced in all my labor;
And ^athis was my reward from all my labor.

11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done
And on the labor in which I had toiled;
And indeed all was ^avanity and grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under the sun.

The End of the Wise and the Fool

12 Then I turned myself to consider wisdom ^aand madness and folly;
For what can the man do who succeeds the king?—
Only what he has already ^bdone.

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Definitions of words in Ecclesiastes 2:3:

Ai {Easton's Bible Dictionary}
Ai {Hitchcock's Bible Names}
Ai {International Standard Bible Encyclopedia}

All {International Standard Bible Encyclopedia}

Flesh {Easton's Bible Dictionary}
Flesh {International Standard Bible Encyclopedia}

Folly {International Standard Bible Encyclopedia}

For {International Standard Bible Encyclopedia}

Heart {Easton's Bible Dictionary}
Heart {International Standard Bible Encyclopedia}

Heaven {Easton's Bible Dictionary}
Heaven {International Standard Bible Encyclopedia}

Hold {Easton's Bible Dictionary}
Hold {International Standard Bible Encyclopedia}

How {International Standard Bible Encyclopedia}

In {International Standard Bible Encyclopedia}

See {International Standard Bible Encyclopedia}

Wisdom {International Standard Bible Encyclopedia}

On {Easton's Bible Dictionary}
On {Hitchcock's Bible Names}

Other definition entries containing Ecclesiastes 2:3:

Ecclesiastes, The Preacher {I.S.B.E.}
Mad; Madness {I.S.B.E.}

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