Ecclesiastes 7:4

7:4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,

but the heart of fools is in the house of merrymaking. ¹ 

Ecclesiastes 2:10

2:10 I did not restrain myself from getting whatever I wanted; ² 

I did not deny myself anything that would bring me pleasure. ³ 

So all my accomplishments gave me joy; ⁴ 

this was my reward for all my effort. ⁵ 

[7:4]  ¹ sn The expression the house of merrymaking refers to a banquet where those who attend engage in self-indulgent feasting and riotous drinking.

[2:10]  ² tn Heb “all which my eyes asked for, I did not withhold from them.”

[2:10]  ³ tn Heb “I did not refuse my heart any pleasure.” The term לִבִּי (libbi, “my heart”) is a synecdoche of part (i.e., heart) for the whole (i.e., whole person); see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 648. The term is repeated twice in 2:10 for emphasis.

[2:10]  ⁴ tn Heb “So my heart was joyful from all my toil.”

[2:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “and this was my portion from all my toil.”