Ecclesiastes 2:23 - Easy To Read Version All his life he has pain, frustrations, and hard work. Even at night, a person’s mind does not rest. This is also senseless. Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition For all his days are but pain and sorrow, and his work is a vexation and grief; his mind takes no rest even at night. This is also vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility)! American Standard Version (1901) For all his days are but sorrows, and his travail is grief; yea, even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity. Common English Bible All their days are pain, and their work is aggravation; even at night, their hearts don’t find rest. This too is pointless. Catholic Public Domain Version All his days have been filled with sorrows and hardships; neither does he rest his mind, even in the night. And is this not emptiness? Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version All his days axe full of sorrows and miseries, even in the night he doth not rest in mind: and is not this vanity? |
Jacob said to Pharaoh, “I have had a short life with many troubles. I have lived only 130 years. My father and his ancestors [251] lived to be much older than I am.”
That same night, the king could not sleep. So he told a servant to bring the history book and read it to him. (The Book of History of the Kings lists everything that happens during a king’s rule.)
\{Job said,\} “We are all human beings. {\cf2\super [24]} Our life is short and full of trouble.
But man is born to have trouble,\par as sure as sparks fly up from a fire.\par
It is a waste of time\par to get up early and stay up late,\par trying to make a living.\par God cares for the people he loves,\par even while they are sleeping.\par
God, you made life harder and harder on me, day and night.\par I became like a dry, dry land in the hot summertime.\par \i (SELAH {\cf2\super [199]})\i0 \par
You gave us much sadness and troubles\par in our lives.\par Now make us happy.\par
I decided to study and to use my wisdom to learn about all the things that are done in this life. I learned that it is a very hard thing that God gave us to do.
With much wisdom comes frustration. The person that gains more wisdom also gains more sorrow.
But then I looked at all the things I had done. I thought about all the hard work I did. I decided it was all a waste of time! It was like trying to catch the wind. {\cf2\super [8]} There is nothing to gain from all the things we do in this life.
A man that works hard all day comes home and sleeps in peace. It is not important if he has little or much to eat. But a rich person worries about his wealth and is not able to sleep.
He only gets days that are filled with sadness and sorrow. In the end, he is frustrated, sick, and angry!
I carefully studied the things people do in this life. I saw how busy people are. They work day and night, and they almost never sleep.
Then King Darius went back to his house. He did not eat that night. He did not want anyone to come and entertain him. The king could not sleep all night.
In those cities Paul and Barnabas made the followers \{of Jesus\} stronger. They helped them to stay in the faith. Paul and Barnabas said, “We must suffer many things on our way into God’s kingdom.”