Ecclesiastes 2:4
2 I said of laughter, “It is folly,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”
3 I sought to cheer my body with wine and to embrace folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—until I could see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.
I expanded my pursuits. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.
5 I made gardens and parks for myself, where I planted all kinds of fruit trees.
6 I built reservoirs to water my groves of flourishing trees.
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- I expanded my pursuits. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.
- KJV
- I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
- WEB
- I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.
- ASV
- I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
- DARBY
- I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
- BLB
- I made great my works; I built for myself houses, and I planted for myself vineyards;
- ÅB
- Jeg utførte store arbeider, jeg bygget meg hus, jeg plantet meg vingårder,
- OTB
- Jeg satte i gang med store verk: Jeg bygde hus for meg selv og plantet vingårder.
- B1930
- Jeg utførte store arbeider, jeg bygget mig hus, jeg plantet mig vingårder,
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
1 Kings 7:1–12
Solomon, however, took thirteen years to complete the construction of his entire palace.
Read in context2 Chronicles 8:11
Solomon brought the daughter of Pharaoh up from the City of David to the palace he had built for her. For he said, “My wife must not live in the house of David king of Israel, because the places the ark of the LORD has entered are holy.”
Read in context2 Chronicles 8:1–6
Now at the end of the twenty years during which Solomon had built the house of the LORD and his own palace,
Read in contextPsalms 49:11
Their graves are their eternal homes— their dwellings for endless generations— even though their lands were their namesakes.
Read in context1 Kings 9:1
Now when Solomon had finished building the house of the LORD and the royal palace, and had achieved all that he had desired to do,
Read in contextIsaiah 5:1
I will sing for my beloved a song of his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.
Read in context1 Kings 15:19
“Let there be a treaty between me and you, between my father and your father. See, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold. Now go and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.”
Read in contextSong of Solomon 8:11–12
Solomon had a vineyard in Baal-hamon. He leased it to the tenants. For its fruit, each was to bring a thousand shekels of silver.
Read in context