Ecclesiastes 2



The Vanity of Work and Riches



18 (Ps 39:6; 49:10) And I despised all the toil in which I labored

under the sun, which I will give up to the man who comes after me.

19 And who knows if this man will be wise or a fool? Yet he will gain

power over every labor that I have toiled and my use of wisdom under the sun.

Also this is vanity.

20 So I turned to give my heart up to despair concerning all the toil

of my labors under the sun.

21 For there is a man who labors with wisdom,

knowledge, and skill; yet to a man who did not labor for this, he leaves it

as his inheritance. This also is vanity and a great distress.

22 (Ecc 1:3; 3:9) For what becomes of a man with all his labor

and with the striving in his heart that he toils under the sun?

23 (Job 5:7; 14:1) For all his days are sorrowful, and his work is a vexation;

even at night his heart finds no rest. Also this is fleeting.

24 (Ecc 3:12-13; 3:22) There is nothing better for a man than to eat

and drink, and find enjoyment in his labor.

This also, I saw, is from the hand of God.

25 For who can even eat or have enjoyment more so than I?

[Some Heb. and Gk. texts, apart from Him.]

26 (Pr 13:22; Job 27:16-17) For to a man who is pleasing before Him,

God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner

He gives the work of gathering and collecting to give him

who is pleasing before God. Also this is vanity and chasing the wind.



18 Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because

I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall

he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured,

and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour

which I took under the sun.

21 For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge,

and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall

he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

22 For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart,

wherein he hath laboured under the sun?

23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief;

yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

24 There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink,

and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw,

that it was from the hand of God.

2 5For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?

26 For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge,

and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up,

that he may give to him that is good before God.

This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.



Ecclesiastes 3



A Time for Everything



1 (Ecc 3:17) To everything there is a season,

a time for every purpose under heaven:

2 (Heb 9:27; Job 14:5) a time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted;

3 (1Sa 2:6; Hos 6:1-2) a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 (Ex 15:20; Ro 12:15) a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 (2Ki 3:25; Joel 2:16) a time to cast away stones,

and a time to gather stones;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 a time to gain, and a time to lose;

a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 (Am 5:13; Ge 37:29) a time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 (Lk 14:26) a time to love, and a time to hate;

a time of war, and a time of peace.



1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose

under the heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck

up that which is planted;

3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down,

and a time to build up;

4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to

embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence,

and a time to speak;

8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.



The God-Given Task



9 (Ecc 1:3; 2:11) What benefit does the worker have in his toil?

10 (Ge 3:19; Ecc 2:26) I have seen the task that God has given to sons of men

to be concerned with.

11 (Ecc 8:17; Ro 11:33) He has made everything beautiful in its appropriate

time. He has also put obscurity in their hearts Or timelessness,

or perpetuity. so that no one comes to know the work that God has done

from the beginning to the end.

12 (Ps 37:3; Ecc 3:22) I experienced that there is nothing better for them

than to be glad and do good in their life.

13 (Ecc 2:24) And also that everyone should eat and drink and experience

good in all their labor. This is a gift of God.

14 (Jas 1:17) I have perceived that everything that God has done

will be lasting. And to this there is nothing to be added, and from it there

is nothing to be taken away. And God has done this so that

in His presence men fear Him.

15 That which is has already been,

and what is to come has also already been;

and God seeks out what has been driven away.



9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men

to be exercised in it.

11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set

the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that

God maketh from the beginning to the end.

12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice,

and to do good in his life.

13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good

of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be

put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should

fear before him.

15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been;

and God requireth that which is past.



The Vanity of Injustice



16 (Ecc 4:1; 5:8) Moreover I saw what was under the sun:

In the place of justice, there was wickedness;

and in the place of righteousness, there was wickedness.

17 (Ecc 3:1; Mt 16:27) I thought in my heart:

God will bring judgment

to the righteous and the wicked,

for there is an appropriate time

for every matter and deed.

18 (Ps 73:22) Then I thought in my heart: Regarding the account

of sons of men, God is making clear to them to show that they are but animals.

19 (Ps 49:12) For what befalls the sons of men befalls animals; as one dies,

so dies the other. There is one breath for all of them; there is no advantage

for man any more than animals, for all is vanity.

20 (Ge 3:19; Job 34:15) All go to one place:

All are from the dust and all return to dust.

21 (Ecc 12:7) Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward

and the spirit of animals goes down to the earth?

22 (Ecc 2:24; 6:12) So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man

should rejoice in his labor, for that is his reward.

For who will bring him to see what will happen after his life?



16 And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness

was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.

17 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked:

for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

18 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God

might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing

befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one

breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.

20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the

beast that goeth downward to the earth?

22 Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man

should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall

bring him to see what shall be after him?



Ecclesiastes 4



Evil Under the Sun



1 (Ecc 3:16; 5:8) Again I saw all types of oppression

that are done under the sun:

Look! The tears of the oppressed,

and no one was there to comfort them.

And there was force from the hand of the oppressors,

and no one was there to comfort them.

2 (Ecc 2:17) And I thought that fortunate were the dead

who had already died,

even more than the living

who were still alive.

3 (Lk 23:29) And still better than both

is he who has not been,

who has not seen the evil deeds

that are done under the sun.

4 (Ecc 1:14; 2:21) Then I saw that all toil and every skillful work come

from one man's envy of another. This also is vanity and like chasing the wind.

5 (Isa 9:20) The fool folds his hands

and eats his own flesh.

6 (Pr 15:16-17; 16:8) Better is a full hand of quietness

than handfuls of toil and chasing the wind.

7 (Ecc 4:1) Again, I saw vanity under the sun:

8 (Pr 27:20; Ecc 1:8) There is a man who is alone,

neither having son or brother,

and there is not an end to all his toil,

and his eyes are not satisfied with riches to say,

"For whom do I labor

and cause my life to lack good things?"

Also this is vanity

and a burdensome task.

9 Two are better than one,

because there is a good reward for their labor together.

10 For if they fall,

then one will help up his companion.

But woe to him who is alone when he falls

and has no one to help him up.

11 Also if two lie down together, then they will keep warm;

but how can one keep warm by himself?

12 And if someone might overpower another by himself,

two together can withstand him.

A threefold cord is not quickly broken.