Ecclesiastes 2 – NIRV & AKCB

New International Reader’s Version

Ecclesiastes 2:1-26

Pleasure Is Meaningless

1I said to myself, “Come on. I’ll try out pleasure. I want to find out if it is good.” But it also proved to be meaningless. 2“Laughter doesn’t make any sense,” I said. “And what can pleasure do for me?” 3I tried cheering myself up by drinking wine. I even tried living in a foolish way. But wisdom was still guiding my mind. I wanted to see what was good for people to do on earth during their short lives.

4So I started some large projects. I built houses for myself. I planted vineyards. 5I made gardens and parks. I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6I made lakes to water groves of healthy trees. 7I bought male and female slaves. And I had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem ever had before. 8I stored up silver and gold for myself. I gathered up the treasures of kings and their kingdoms. I got some male and female singers. I also got many women for myself. Women delight the hearts of men. 9I became far more important than anyone in Jerusalem had ever been before. And in spite of everything, I didn’t lose my wisdom.

10I gave myself everything my eyes wanted.

There wasn’t any pleasure that I refused to give myself.

I took delight in everything I did.

And that was what I got for all my work.

11But then I looked over everything my hands had done.

I saw what I had worked so hard to get.

And nothing had any meaning.

It was like chasing the wind.

Nothing was gained on this earth.

Wisdom and Foolish Pleasure Are Meaningless

12I decided to think about wisdom.

I also thought about foolish pleasure.

What more can a new king do?

Can he do anything more than others have already done?

13I saw that wisdom is better than foolishness,

just as light is better than darkness.

14The eyes of a wise person see things clearly.

A person who is foolish lives in darkness.

But I finally realized that death catches up

with both of them.

15Then I said to myself,

“What happens to a foolish person will catch up with me too.

So what do I gain by being wise?”

I said to myself,

“That doesn’t have any meaning either.”

16Like a foolish person, a wise person won’t be remembered very long.

The days have already come when both of them have been forgotten.

Like a person who is foolish,

a wise person must die too!

Work Is Meaningless

17So I hated life. That’s because the work done on this earth made me sad. None of it has any meaning. It’s like chasing the wind. 18I hated everything I had worked for on earth. I’ll have to leave all of it to someone who lives after me. 19And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Either way, they’ll take over everything on earth I’ve worked so hard for. That doesn’t have any meaning either. 20So I began to lose hope because of all my hard work on this earth. 21A person might use wisdom, knowledge and skill to do their work. But then they have to leave everything they own to someone who hasn’t worked for it. That doesn’t have any meaning either. In fact, it isn’t fair. 22What do people get for all their hard work on earth? What do they get for all their worries? 23As long as they live, their work is nothing but pain and sorrow. Even at night their minds can’t rest. That doesn’t have any meaning either.

24A person can’t do anything better than eat, drink and be satisfied with their work. I’m finally seeing that those things also come from the hand of God. 25Without his help, who can eat or find pleasure? 26God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness to the person who pleases him. But to a sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth. Then the sinner must hand it over to the one who pleases God. That doesn’t have any meaning either. It’s like chasing the wind.

Akuapem Twi Contemporary Bible

Ɔsɛnkafo 2:1-26

Anigye Ne Adwuma Yɛ Ade Huhuw

1Mekaa wɔ me koma mu se, “Afei bra, mede anigye bɛsɔ wo ahwɛ na yɛahu nea eye.” Nanso ankosi hwee. 2Mekae se, “Ɔserew yɛ nkwaseade. Na dɛn na anigye tumi yɛ?” 3Mepɛɛ sɛ mihu nea eye pa ara ma yɛn wɔ bere tiaa a yɛwɔ wɔ asase yi so no. Enti meyɛɛ mʼadwene sɛ mede nsa bɛsɛpɛw me ho na mahwehwɛ, ahu nkwaseasɛm nkyerɛase, a na nyansa da so bɔ mʼankasa mʼadwene ho ban.

4Mede me nsa hyɛɛ nnwuma akɛse ase; misisii adan yɛɛ bobe nturo. 5Meyɛɛ nturo ne ahomegyebea na miduaduaa nnuaba ahorow bebree wɔ mu. 6Misisii nsukorae a mɛtwe nsu afi mu, de agugu nnua a ɛrenyin no so. 7Metɔɔ nkoa ne mfenaa, na minyaa ebinom nso a wɔwoo wɔn wɔ me fi. Afei nso, minyaa anantwi ne nguan bebree sen obiara a wadi mʼanim wɔ Yerusalem. 8Mepɛɛ dwetɛ ne sikakɔkɔɔ, gyigyee ahemfo ne amantam no ademude kaa ho. Mefaa mmarima ne mmea nnwontofo, pɛɛ mmea atenae nso; nea ɛyɛ ɔbarima koma anigyede biara. 9Migyee din sen obiara a wadi mʼanim wɔ Yerusalem. Eyinom nyinaa mu no me nimdeɛ kɔɔ so yɛɛ adwuma.

10Nea mʼani hwehwɛe biara mamfa ankame no;

mansiw me koma anigye ho kwan.

Me koma ani gyee me nnwuma nyinaa ho,

na eyi yɛ mʼadwumayɛ so akatua.

11Nanso sɛ mehwɛ nea me nsa ayɛ nyinaa

ne nea mabrɛ anya a,

ne nyinaa nka hwee, ɛte sɛnea wotu mmirika taa mframa

mannya mfaso biara wɔ owia yi ase.

Nimdeɛ Ne Nkwaseade Yɛ Ade Huhuw

12Mede mʼadwene kɔɔ nimdeɛ,

adammɔsɛm ne nkwaseasɛm so.

Dɛn bio na nea wadi ɔhene ade betumi ayɛ

asen nea wɔayɛ dedaw no?

13Mihuu sɛ nimdeɛ ye sen nkwaseasɛm,

sɛnea hann yɛ sen sum no.

14Onyansafo ani wɔ ne tirim,

na ɔkwasea de, ɔnantew sum mu;

nanso mihuu sɛ

wɔn nyinaa nkrabea yɛ pɛ.

15Afei misusuw wɔ me koma mu se,

“Ɔkwasea nkrabea bɛto me nso.

Enti sɛ mihu nyansa a mfaso bɛn na minya?”

Mekaa wɔ me koma mu se,

“Eyi nso nka hwee.”

16Te sɛ ɔkwasea no, onyansafo nso, wɔrenkae no daa;

nna a ɛreba no mu, wɔrenkae wɔn baanu no.

Te sɛ ɔkwasea no, onyansafo nso bewu!

Adwumayɛ Nka Hwee

17Ɛno nti asetena fonoo me, na adwuma a yɛyɛ wɔ owia yi ase no haw me. Ne nyinaa yɛ ahuhude, te sɛnea wotu mmirika taa mframa. 18Mikyii nea mayɛ adwuma apɛ nyinaa wɔ owia yi ase, efisɛ ɛsɛ sɛ migyaw hɔ ma nea obedi mʼade. 19Na hena na onim sɛ onipa ko no bɛyɛ onyansafo anaa ɔkwasea? Nanso nea mabiri me mogya ani apɛ wɔ owia yi ase nyinaa bɛkɔ ne nsam. Eyi nso yɛ ahuhude. 20Enti mepaa abaw wɔ owia yi ase adwumaden ho. 21Na onipa befi ne nimdeɛ, nyansa ne adwumayɛ ho nimdeɛ mu ayɛ nʼasɛde, na afei ɛsɛ sɛ ogyaw nʼadwumayɛ so aba ma obi a ɔnyɛɛ adwuma biara. Eyi nso yɛ ahuhude, na ɛhaw adwene. 22Dɛn na onipa nya fi ne brɛ ne dadwen a ɔde yɛ adwuma wɔ owia yi ase mu? 23Ne nkwanna nyinaa, nʼadwumayɛ yɛ ɔyaw ne ɔhaw; anadwo mpo nʼadwene yɛ adwuma. Eyi nso yɛ ahuhude.

24Biribiara nsen sɛ onipa bedidi na wanom na wanya ahotɔ wɔ adwumayɛ mu. Eyi nso mihuu sɛ efi Onyankopɔn, 25efisɛ ɛnyɛ ɔno a anka hena na obetumi adidi anaasɛ obenya ahotɔ? 26Onipa a ɔsɔ Onyankopɔn ani no, ɔma no nimdeɛ, nyansa ne anigye, nanso omumɔyɛfo de, ɔma ɔboaboa ahonyade ano ma nea ɔsɔ Onyankopɔn ani. Eyi nso yɛ ahuhude, sɛnea wɔde mmirikatu taa mframa no.