Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them? New Living Translation So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is our lot in life. And no one can bring us back to see what happens after we die. English Standard Version So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him? Berean Standard Bible I have seen that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will come after him? King James Bible 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? New King James Version So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him? New American Standard Bible I have seen that nothing is better than when a person is happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him? NASB 1995 I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him? NASB 1977 And I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him? Legacy Standard Bible I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be glad in his works, for that is his portion. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him? Amplified Bible So I have seen that there is nothing better than that a man should be happy in his own works and activities, for that is his portion (share). For who will bring him [back] to see what will happen after he is gone? Christian Standard Bible I have seen that there is nothing better than for a person to enjoy his activities because that is his reward. For who can enable him to see what will happen after he dies? Holman Christian Standard Bible I have seen that there is nothing better than for a person to enjoy his activities because that is his reward. For who can enable him to see what will happen after he dies? American Standard Version Wherefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him back to see what shall be after him? Aramaic Bible in Plain English I have seen there is nothing better for them but that a man rejoice in his works, because that is his portion, for who will bring him to see all that will be after him? Brenton Septuagint Translation And I saw that there was no good, but that wherein a man shall rejoice in his works, for it is his portion, for who shall bring him to see any thing of that which shall be after him? Contemporary English Version We were meant to enjoy our work, and that's the best thing we can do. We can never know the future. Douay-Rheims Bible And I have found that nothing is better than for a man to rejoice in his work, and that this is his portion. For who shall bring him to know the things that shall be after him? English Revised Version Wherefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him back to see what shall be after him? GOD'S WORD® Translation I saw that there's nothing better for people to do than to enjoy their work because that is their lot [in life]. Who will allow them to see what will happen after them? Good News Translation So I realized then that the best thing we can do is enjoy what we have worked for. There is nothing else we can do. There is no way for us to know what will happen after we die. International Standard Version I concluded that it is worthwhile for people to find joy in their accomplishments, because that is their inheritance, since who can see what will exist after them? JPS Tanakh 1917 Wherefore I perceived that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion; for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him? Literal Standard Version And I have seen that there is nothing better than that man rejoice in his works, for it [is] his portion; for who brings him to look on that which is after him? Majority Standard Bible I have seen that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will come after him? New American Bible And I saw that there is nothing better for mortals than to rejoice in their work; for this is their lot. Who will let them see what is to come after them? NET Bible So I perceived there is nothing better than for people to enjoy their work, because that is their reward; for who can show them what the future holds? New Revised Standard Version So I saw that there is nothing better than that all should enjoy their work, for that is their lot; who can bring them to see what will be after them? New Heart English Bible Therefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion: for who can bring him to see what will be after him? Webster's Bible Translation 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? World English Bible Therefore I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his works, for that is his portion; for who can bring him to see what will be after him? Young's Literal Translation And I have seen that there is nothing better than that man rejoice in his works, for it is his portion; for who doth bring him in to look on that which is after him? Additional Translations ... Context From Dust to Dust…21Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and the spirit of the animal descends into the earth? 22I have seen that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will come after him? Cross References Ecclesiastes 2:10 Anything my eyes desired, I did not deny myself. I refused my heart no pleasure. For my heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Ecclesiastes 2:18 I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me. Ecclesiastes 2:24 Nothing is better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy his work. I have also seen that this is from the hand of God. Ecclesiastes 6:12 For who knows what is good for a man during the few days in which he passes through his fleeting life like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will come after him under the sun? Ecclesiastes 7:14 In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider this: God has made one of these along with the other, so that a man cannot discover anything that will come after him. Ecclesiastes 8:7 Since no one knows what will happen, who can tell him what is to come? Ecclesiastes 9:6 Their love, their hate, and their envy have already vanished, and they will never again have a share in all that is done under the sun. Treasury of Scripture Why 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? nothing Ecclesiastes 3:11,12 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… Ecclesiastes 2:10,11,24 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour… Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion… who Ecclesiastes 6:12 For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun? Ecclesiastes 8:7 For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be? Ecclesiastes 9:12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them. Jump to Previous Activities Better Enjoy Happy Joy Lot Occur Perceive Perceived Portion Rejoice Reward Wherefore Work WorksJump to Next Activities Better Enjoy Happy Joy Lot Occur Perceive Perceived Portion Rejoice Reward Wherefore Work WorksEcclesiastes 3 1. by the necessary change of times, vanity is added to human travail11. is an excellence in God's works 16. as for man, God shall judge his works hereafter, though here he be like a beast Verse 22. - After all, the writer arrives at the conclusion intimated in ver. 12; only here the result is gathered from the acknowledgment of man's impotence (vers. 16-18), as there from the experience of life. Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, etc.; rather, so, or wherefore I saw that there was nothing, etc. As man is not master of his own lot, cannot order events as he would like, is powerless to control the forces of nature and the providential arrangements of the world, his duty and his happiness consist in enjoying the present, in making the best of life, and availing himself of the bounties which the mercy of God places before him. Thus he will free himself from anxieties and cares, perform present labors, attend to present duties, content himself with the daily round, and not vex his heart with solicitude for the future. There is no Epicureanism here, no recommendation of sensual enjoyment; the author simply advises men to make a thankful use of the blessings which God provides for them. For who shall bring him to see what shall be after him? The Revised Version, by inserting "back" - Who shall bring him back to see? - affixes a meaning to the clause which it need not and does not bear. It is, indeed, commonly interpreted to signify that man knows and can know nothing that happens to him after death - whether he will exist or not, whether he will have cognizance of what passes on earth, or be insensible to all that befalls here. But Koheleth has completed that thought already; his argument now turns to the future in this life. Use the present, for you cannot be sure of the future; - this is his exhortation. So he says (Ecclesiastes 6:12), "Who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?" where the expression, "under the sun," shows that earthly life is meant, not existence after death. Ignorance of the future is a very common topic throughout the book, but it is the terrestrial prospect that is in view. There would be little force in urging the impotence of men's efforts towards their own happiness by the consideration of their ignorance of what may happen when they are no more; but one may reasonably exhort men to cease to torment themselves with hopes and fears, with labors that may be useless and preparations that may never be needed, by the reflection that they cannot foresee the future, and that, for all they know, the pains which they take may be utterly wasted (cf. Ecclesiastes 7:14; Ecclesiastes 9:3). Thus in this section there is neither skepticism nor Epicureanism. In brief, the sentiment is this - There are injustices and anomalies in the life of men and in the course of this world's events which man cannot control or alter; these may be righted and compensated hereafter. Meantime, man's happiness is to make the best of the present, and cheerfully to enjoy what Providence offers, without anxious care for the future.
Hebrew I have seenוְרָאִ֗יתִי (wə·rā·’î·ṯî) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular Strong's 7200: To see that כִּ֣י (kî) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction there is nothing אֵ֥ין (’ên) Adverb Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle better טוֹב֙ (ṭō·wḇ) Adjective - masculine singular Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good for a man הָאָדָם֙ (hā·’ā·ḏām) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being than מֵאֲשֶׁ֨ר (mê·’ă·šer) Preposition-m | Pronoun - relative Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that to enjoy יִשְׂמַ֤ח (yiś·maḥ) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 8055: To brighten up, be, blithe, gleesome his work, בְּֽמַעֲשָׂ֔יו (bə·ma·‘ă·śāw) Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 4639: An action, a transaction, activity, a product, property because כִּי־ (kî-) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction that ה֖וּא (hū) Pronoun - third person masculine singular Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are is his lot. חֶלְק֑וֹ (ḥel·qōw) Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 2506: Portion, tract, territory For כִּ֣י (kî) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction who מִ֤י (mî) Interrogative Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix can bring יְבִיאֶ֙נּוּ֙ (yə·ḇî·’en·nū) Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go him to see לִרְא֔וֹת (lir·’ō·wṯ) Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Strong's 7200: To see what בְּמֶ֖ה (bə·meh) Preposition-b | Interrogative Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what will come שֶׁיִּהְיֶ֥ה (še·yih·yeh) Pronoun - relative | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be after him? אַחֲרָֽיו׃ (’a·ḥă·rāw) Preposition | third person masculine singular Strong's 310: The hind or following part Links Ecclesiastes 3:22 NIVEcclesiastes 3:22 NLT Ecclesiastes 3:22 ESV Ecclesiastes 3:22 NASB Ecclesiastes 3:22 KJV Ecclesiastes 3:22 BibleApps.com Ecclesiastes 3:22 Biblia Paralela Ecclesiastes 3:22 Chinese Bible Ecclesiastes 3:22 French Bible Ecclesiastes 3:22 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 3:22 Therefore I saw that there is nothing (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.) |
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