Ecclesiastes 2:1

Good News Translation

I decided to enjoy myself and find out what happiness is. But I found that this is useless, too.

Cross References

Genesis 11:7

Let us go down and mix up their language so that they will not understand each other.”

2 Kings 5:5

The king said, “Go to the king of Israel and take this letter to him.” So Naaman set out, taking thirty thousand pieces of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of fine clothes.

Psalm 10:6

They say to themselves, “We will never fail; we will never be in trouble.”

Psalm 14:1

Fools say to themselves, “There is no God!” They are all corrupt, and they have done terrible things; there is no one who does what is right.

Psalm 27:8

When you said, “Come worship me,” I answered, “I will come, Lord.”

Proverbs 14:13

Laughter may hide sadness. When happiness is gone, sorrow is always there.

Ecclesiastes 11:9

Young people, enjoy your youth. Be happy while you are still young. Do what you want to do, and follow your heart's desire. But remember that God is going to judge you for whatever you do.

Ecclesiastes 2:10

Anything I wanted, I got. I did not deny myself any pleasure. I was proud of everything I had worked for, and all this was my reward.

Ecclesiastes 2:15

I thought to myself, “What happens to fools is going to happen to me, too. So what have I gained from being so wise?” “Nothing,” I answered, “not a thing.”

Ecclesiastes 2:25

How else could you have anything to eat or enjoy yourself at all?

Ecclesiastes 7:4

Someone who is always thinking about happiness is a fool. A wise person thinks about death.

Ecclesiastes 8:15

So I am convinced that we should enjoy ourselves, because the only pleasure we have in this life is eating and drinking and enjoying ourselves. We can at least do this as we labor during the life that God has given us in this world.

Isaiah 5:5

“Here is what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge around it, break down the wall that protects it, and let wild animals eat it and trample it down.

Isaiah 50:11

All of you that plot to destroy others will be destroyed by your own plots. The Lord himself will make this happen; you will suffer a miserable fate.

Isaiah 50:5

The Lord has given me understanding, and I have not rebelled or turned away from him.

Luke 12:19

Then I will say to myself, Lucky man! You have all the good things you need for many years. Take life easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!’

Luke 16:19

“There was once a rich man who dressed in the most expensive clothes and lived in great luxury every day.

Luke 16:23

and in Hades, where he was in great pain, he looked up and saw Abraham, far away, with Lazarus at his side.

Titus 3:3

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, and wrong. We were slaves to passions and pleasures of all kinds. We spent our lives in malice and envy; others hated us and we hated them.

James 4:13

Now listen to me, you that say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to a certain city, where we will stay a year and go into business and make a lot of money.”

James 5:1

And now, you rich people, listen to me! Weep and wail over the miseries that are coming upon you!

James 5:5

Your life here on earth has been full of luxury and pleasure. You have made yourselves fat for the day of slaughter.