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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Ecclesiastes 2:4

Then I began doing great things. I built houses, and I planted vineyards for myself.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Agriculture;   Epicureans;   Investigation;   Pleasure;   Solomon;   Vanity;   Vineyard;   Wisdom;   Worldliness;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Vanity;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Joy;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Solomon;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, the Book of;   Garden;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, Book of;   Israel, History of;   Jewels, Jewelry;   Joy;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ecclesiastes;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Winter ;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher;   Mad;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Bet Ha-Midrash;   Ḳohelet (Ecclesiastes) Rabbah;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for August 9;   Every Day Light - Devotion for October 1;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I increased my achievements. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.
Hebrew Names Version
I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.
King James Version
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
English Standard Version
I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.
New American Standard Bible
I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself;
New Century Version
Then I did great things: I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.
Amplified Bible
I made great works: I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself;
World English Bible
I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.
Geneva Bible (1587)
I haue made my great workes: I haue built me houses: I haue planted me vineyards.
Legacy Standard Bible
I made my works great: I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself;
Berean Standard Bible
I enlarged my works. I built myself houses and planted myself vineyards.
Contemporary English Version
I did some great things. I built houses and planted vineyards.
Complete Jewish Bible
I worked on a grand scale — I built myself palaces, planted myself vineyards,
Darby Translation
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
George Lamsa Translation
I multiplied my servants; I built myself houses; I planted vineyards for myself:
Good News Translation
I accomplished great things. I built myself houses and planted vineyards.
Lexham English Bible
I accomplished great things. I built for myself houses; I planted for myself vineyards.
Literal Translation
I made my works great; I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
I made gorgious fayre workes, I buylded me houses, and planted vynyardes:
American Standard Version
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
Bible in Basic English
I undertook great works, building myself houses and planting vine-gardens.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
King James Version (1611)
I made me great workes, I builded mee houses, I planted mee Uineyards.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
I made gorgious faire workes: I builded my houses, and planted vineyardes.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
I enlarged my work; I built me houses; I planted me vineyards.
English Revised Version
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Y magnefiede my werkis, Y bildide housis to me, and Y plauntide vynes; Y made yerdis and orcherdis,
Update Bible Version
I made myself great works; I built myself houses; I planted myself vineyards;
Webster's Bible Translation
I made me great works; I built me houses; I planted me vineyards:
New English Translation
I increased my possessions: I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself.
New King James Version
I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards.
New Living Translation
I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards.
New Life Bible
I did great things. I built houses for myself. I planted grape-fields for myself.
New Revised Standard
I made great works; I built houses and planted vineyards for myself;
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
I enlarged my works, - I built me houses, I planted me vineyards;
Douay-Rheims Bible
I made me great works, I built me houses, and planted vineyards,
Revised Standard Version
I made great works; I built houses and planted vineyards for myself;
Young's Literal Translation
I made great my works, I builded for me houses, I planted for me vineyards.
THE MESSAGE
Oh, I did great things: built houses, planted vineyards, designed gardens and parks and planted a variety of fruit trees in them, made pools of water to irrigate the groves of trees. I bought slaves, male and female, who had children, giving me even more slaves; then I acquired large herds and flocks, larger than any before me in Jerusalem. I piled up silver and gold, loot from kings and kingdoms. I gathered a chorus of singers to entertain me with song, and—most exquisite of all pleasures— voluptuous maidens for my bed.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself;

Contextual Overview

1 I said to myself, "I should have fun—I should enjoy everything as much as I can." But I learned that this is also useless. 2 It is foolish to laugh all the time. Having fun does not do any good. 3 So I decided to fill my body with wine while I filled my mind with wisdom. I tried this foolishness because I wanted to find a way to be happy. I wanted to see what was good for people to do during their few days of life. 4 Then I began doing great things. I built houses, and I planted vineyards for myself. 5 I planted gardens, and I made parks. I planted all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made pools of water for myself, and I used them to water my growing trees. 7 I bought men and women slaves, and there were slaves born in my house. I owned many great things. I had herds of cattle and flocks of sheep. I owned more things than any other person in Jerusalem did. 8 I also gathered silver and gold for myself. I took treasures from kings and their nations. I had men and women singing for me. I had everything any man could want. 9 I became very rich and famous. I was greater than anyone who lived in Jerusalem before me. My wisdom was always there to help me. 10 Anything my eyes saw and wanted, I got for myself. My mind was pleased with everything I did. And this happiness was the reward for all my hard work.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

made: Genesis 11:4, 2 Samuel 18:18, Daniel 4:30

I builded: Deuteronomy 8:12-14, 1 Kings 7:1, 1 Kings 7:2, 1 Kings 7:8-12, 1 Kings 9:1, 1 Kings 15:19, 1 Kings 10:19, 1 Kings 10:20, 2 Chronicles 8:1-6, 2 Chronicles 8:11, Psalms 49:11

I planted: 1 Chronicles 27:27, 2 Chronicles 26:10, Song of Solomon 1:14, Song of Solomon 7:12, Song of Solomon 8:11, Song of Solomon 8:12, Isaiah 5:1

Reciprocal: Genesis 4:17 - and he 2 Samuel 5:11 - they built 2 Chronicles 7:11 - all that came 2 Chronicles 8:6 - all that Solomon desired to build Proverbs 4:7 - with Ecclesiastes 2:18 - I hated Ecclesiastes 6:2 - so

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
God created the sky and the earth. At first,
Genesis 1:4
He saw the light, and he knew that it was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness.
Genesis 1:28
God blessed them and said to them, "Have many children. Fill the earth and take control of it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the air. Rule over every living thing that moves on the earth."
Genesis 1:31
God looked at everything he had made. And he saw that everything was very good. There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the sixth day.
Genesis 2:1
So the earth, the sky, and everything in them were finished.
Genesis 2:2
God finished the work he was doing, so on the seventh day he rested from his work.
Genesis 5:1
This is the history of Adam's family. When God created people, he made them like himself.
Genesis 10:1
This is the history of the families of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. They are Noah's sons. These men had children after the flood.
Genesis 11:10
This is the history of Shem's family. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, his son Arphaxad was born.
Genesis 25:12
This is the list of Ishmael's family. Ishmael was Abraham and Hagar's son. (Hagar was Sarah's Egyptian maid.)

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I made me great works,.... He did not spend his time in trifling things, as Domitian a, in catching and killing flies; but in devising, designing, directing, and superintending great works of art and skill, becoming the grandeur of his state, and the greatness of his mind: the Midrash restrains it to his great throne of ivory, overlaid with gold, 1 Kings 10:18, but it is a general expression, including all the great things he did, of which the following is a particular enumeration;

I builded me houses; among which must not be reckoned the house of God, though that was built by him, and in the first place; yet this was built, not for his own pleasure and grandeur, but for the worship and glory of God: but his own house and palace is chiefly meant, which was thirteen years in building; and the house of the forest in Lebanon, which perhaps was his country seat; with all other houses and offices, for his stores, for his servants, his horsemen, and chariots; see 1 Kings 7:1; and in fine spacious buildings men take a great deal of pleasure, and promise themselves much happiness in dwelling in them, and in perpetuating their names to posterity by them; see

Psalms 49:11. The Targum is,

"I multiplied good works in Jerusalem; I builded me houses; the house of the sanctuary, to make atonement for Israel; the king's house of refreshment, and the conclave and porch; and the house of judgment, of hewn stones, where the wise men sit and do judgment; I made a throne of ivory for the royal seat;''

I planted me vineyards; perhaps those at Engedi were of his planting; however, he had one at Baalhamon, and no doubt in other places, Song of Solomon 1:14; the Targum makes mention of one at Jabne, planted by him; these also add to the pleasure of human life; it is delightful to walk in them, to gather the fruit and drink of the wine of them; see Song of Solomon 7:12.

a Sueton. Vit. Domitian. c. 3. Aurel. Victor. De. Caesar. & Epitome.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Compare 1 Kings 7:1-12; 1 Kings 9:15-19; 1 Kings 10:14-27; and 2 Chronicles 8:4.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 2:4. I builded me houses — Palace after palace; the house of the forest of Lebanon, 1 Kings 7:1, c. a house for the queen; the temple, c., 2 Chronicles 8:1, c. 1 Kings 9:10, &c., besides many other buildings of various kinds.


 
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