Ecclesiastes 9:10
New International Version
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

New Living Translation
Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

English Standard Version
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

Berean Standard Bible
Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

King James Bible
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

New King James Version
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.

New American Standard Bible
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity, planning, knowledge, or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.

NASB 1995
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.

NASB 1977
Whatever your hand finds to do, verily, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.

Legacy Standard Bible
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no working or explaining or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.

Amplified Bible
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) where you are going.

Christian Standard Bible
Whatever your hands find to do, do with all your strength, because there is no work, planning, knowledge, or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Whatever your hands find to do, do with all your strength, because there is no work, planning, knowledge, or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.

American Standard Version
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
All that your hand finds to do, do in your power, for there is no work or reasoning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, because you are going there

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Whatsoever thine hand shall find to do, do with all thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Hades wither thou goest.

Contemporary English Version
Work hard at whatever you do. You will soon go to the world of the dead, where no one works or thinks or reasons or even knows anything.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Whatsoever thy hand is able to do, do it earnestly: for neither work, nor reason, nor wisdom, nor knowledge shall be in hell, whither thou art hastening.

English Revised Version
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Whatever presents itself for you to do, do it with [all] your might, because there is no work, planning, knowledge, or skill in the grave where you're going.

Good News Translation
Work hard at whatever you do, because there will be no action, no thought, no knowledge, no wisdom in the world of the dead--and that is where you are going.

International Standard Version
Whatever the activity in which you engage, do it with all your ability, because there is no work, no planning, no learning, and no wisdom in the next world where you're going.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Whatsoever thy hand attaineth to do by thy strength, that do; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Literal Standard Version
All that your hand finds to do, with your power do, for there is no work, and plan, and knowledge, and wisdom in Sheol to where you are going.

Majority Standard Bible
Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

New American Bible
Anything you can turn your hand to, do with what power you have; for there will be no work, no planning, no knowledge, no wisdom in Sheol where you are going.

NET Bible
Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, because there is neither work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave, the place where you will eventually go.

New Revised Standard Version
Whatever your hand finds to do, do with your might; for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

New Heart English Bible
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going.

Webster's Bible Translation
Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

World English Bible
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going.

Young's Literal Translation
All that thy hand findeth to do, with thy power do, for there is no work, and device, and knowledge, and wisdom in Sheol whither thou art going.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Enjoy Your Portion in This Life
9Enjoy life with your beloved wife all the days of the fleeting life that God has given you under the sun—all your fleeting days. For this is your portion in life and in your labor under the sun. 10Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom. 11I saw something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; neither is the bread to the wise, nor the wealth to the intelligent, nor the favor to the skillful. For time and chance happen to all.…

Cross References
Romans 12:11
Do not let your zeal subside; keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Colossians 3:23
Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men,

Genesis 37:35
All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. "No," he said. "I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son." So his father wept for him.

1 Samuel 10:7
When these signs have come, do as the occasion demands, for God is with you.

Job 21:13
They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol in peace.

Psalm 6:5
For there is no mention of You in death; who can praise You from Sheol?

Ecclesiastes 9:5
For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, because the memory of them is forgotten.


Treasury of Scripture

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, where you go.

thy hand

Numbers 13:30
And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

1 Chronicles 22:19
Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the LORD.

1 Chronicles 28:20
And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.

for

Ecclesiastes 9:5,6
For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten…

Ecclesiastes 11:3
If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.

Job 14:7-12
For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease…

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Activity Attaineth Dead Device Findeth Finds Goest Grave Hand Planning Power Sheol Strength Thought Whatever Whatsoever Whither Wisdom Work
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Activity Attaineth Dead Device Findeth Finds Goest Grave Hand Planning Power Sheol Strength Thought Whatever Whatsoever Whither Wisdom Work
Ecclesiastes 9
1. like things happen to good and bad
4. there is a necessity of death unto men
7. Comfort is all their portion in this life
11. God's providence rules over all
13. wisdom is better than strength














(10) Thy hand findeth.--Leviticus 12:8; Judges 9:33; and margin, reff.

The grave.--Sheol (John 9:4).

Verse 10. - Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might. In accordance with what has been already said, and to combat the idea that, as man cannot control his fate, he should take no pains to work his work, but fold his hands in resigned inaction, Koheleth urges him not to despair, but to do his part manfully as long as life is given, and with all the energies of his soul carry out the purpose of his being. The Septuagint gives, "All things whatsoever thy hand shall find to do, do it as thy power is (ὡς ἡ δύναμίς σου);" Vulgate, Quodcumque facere potest manus tua, instanter operate. The expression at the commencement may be illustrated by Leviticus 12:8; Leviticus 25:28; Judges 9:33, where it implies ability to carry out some intention, and in some passages is thus rendered, "is able," etc. (comp. Proverbs 3:27). It is therefore erroneous to render it in this place, "Whatever by chance cometh to hand;" or "Let might be right." Rather it is a call to work as the prelude and accompaniment of enjoyment, anticipating St. Paul's maxim (2 Thessalonians 3:10), "If any would not work, neither should he eat." Ginsburg's interpretation is dishonoring to the Preacher and foreign to his real sentiments, "Have recourse to every source of voluptuous gratification, while thou art in thy strength." The true meaning of the verse is confirmed by such references as John 9:4, "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work;" 2 Corinthians 6:2, "Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation;" Galatians 6:10, "As we have opportunity, let us do good unto all men." For there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave. The departed have no more work which they can do, no plans or calculations to make; their knowledge is strictly limited, their wisdom is ended. It needs body and soul to carry on the labors and activities of this world; when these are severed, and can no longer act together, there is a complete alteration in the man's relations and capacities. "The grave," sheol (which is found nowhere else in Ecclesiastes), is the place to which go the souls of the dead - a shadowy region. Whither thou goest; to which all are bound. It is plain that the writer believes in the continued existence of the soul, as he differentiates its life in sheol from its life on earth, the energies and operations which are carried on in the one case being curtailed or eclipsed in the other. Of any repentance, or purification, or progress, in the unseen world, Koheleth knows and says nothing. He would seem to regard existence there as a sleep or a state of insensibility; at any rate, such is the natural view of the present passage.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Whatever
כֹּ֠ל (kōl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

you find
תִּמְצָ֧א (tim·ṣā)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

to do
לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת (la·‘ă·śō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6213: To do, make

with your hands,
יָֽדְךָ֛ (yā·ḏə·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

do [it]
עֲשֵׂ֑ה (‘ă·śêh)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

with all your might,
בְּכֹחֲךָ֖ (bə·ḵō·ḥă·ḵā)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3581: A small reptile (of unknown species)

for
כִּי֩ (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

in Sheol,
בִּשְׁא֕וֹל (biš·’ō·wl)
Preposition-b | Noun - common singular
Strong's 7585: Underworld (place to which people descend at death)

where
אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

you
אַתָּ֖ה (’at·tāh)
Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

are going,
הֹלֵ֥ךְ (hō·lêḵ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

there is no
אֵ֨ין (’ên)
Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

work
מַעֲשֶׂ֤ה (ma·‘ă·śeh)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4639: An action, a transaction, activity, a product, property

or planning
וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן֙ (wə·ḥeš·bō·wn)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2808: Contrivance, intelligence

or knowledge
וְדַ֣עַת (wə·ḏa·‘aṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1847: Knowledge

or wisdom.
וְחָכְמָ֔ה (wə·ḥā·ḵə·māh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2451: Wisdom


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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do do (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)
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