Ecclesiastes 2:3 — compare English translations
Compare translationsEcclesiastes 2:3 in 3 English versions, beneath the original-language interlinear. Each original word links to its lexicon entry, so you can weigh the renderings against the morphology yourself. Full word study →
תַּ֣רְתִּי
tûwr
H8446
to seek
בְלִבִּ֔י
lêb
H3820
heart
לִמְשׁ֥וֹךְ
mâshak
H4900
to draw
בַּיַּ֖יִן
yayin
H3196
wine
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
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בְּשָׂרִ֑י
bâsâr
H1320
flesh
וְלִבִּ֞י
lêb
H3820
heart
נֹהֵ֤ג
nâhag
H5090
to drive
בַּֽחָכְמָה֙
chokmâh
H2451
wisdom
וְלֶאֱחֹ֣ז
ʼâchaz
H270
to grasp
בְּסִכְל֔וּת
çiklûwth
H5531
foolishness
עַ֣ד
ʻad
H5704
until
אֲשֶׁר
ʼăsher
H834
which
אֶרְאֶ֗ה
râʼâh
H7200
to see
אֵי
ʼay
H335
where
זֶ֨ה
zeh
H2088
this
ט֜וֹב
ṭôwb
H2896
good
לִבְנֵ֤י
bên
H1121
son
הָאָדָם֙
ʼâdâm
H120
man
אֲשֶׁ֤ר
ʼăsher
H834
which
יַעֲשׂוּ֙
ʻâsâh
H6213
to do
תַּ֣חַת
tachath
H8478
under
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם
shâmayim
H8064
heaven
מִסְפַּ֖ר
miçpâr
H4557
number
יְמֵ֥י
yôwm
H3117
day
חַיֵּיהֶֽם
chay
H2416
living
Each is an independent rendering of the whole verse — the interlinear is not word-aligned to these translations.
Highlighted words mark where these versions differ — a whole-verse word diff, not a word-by-word alignment.
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World English Bible Public Domain
I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives.
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King James Version Public Domain
I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
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unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
I explored in my heart to drag my flesh with wine (and my heart was guiding with wisdom) and to seize folly until I could see where good for the sons of humanity that they might do under the heavens the number of the days of their lives.
unfoldingWord Literal Text — © unfoldingWord, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Word-aligned USFM3 via Door43 (git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ult).