Ecclesiastes 9

Ecclesiastes · Chapter 9

Ecclesiastes 9:2

1For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.2All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.3This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.4For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.5For 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.6Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.7Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.8Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.9Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.10Whatsoever 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.11I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.12For 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.13This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:14There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:15Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.16Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.17The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.18Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
2All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.It is the same for all: There is a common fate for the righteous and the wicked, for the good and the bad, for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not. As it is for the good, so it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who makes a vow, so it is for the one who refuses to take a vow.All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not; as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
the allהַכֹּ֞לha-KOLH3605
all

כֹּל (kol) 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

[is] just asכַּאֲשֶׁ֣רka-'a-SHERH0834D
as which

כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka.a.sher) conj 1) according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when

for the allלַכֹּ֗לla-KOLH3605
all

כֹּל (kol) 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

fateמִקְרֶ֨הmik-REHH4745
accident

מִקְרֶה (miq.reh) 1) unforeseen meeting or event, accident, happening, chance, fortune 1a) accident, chance 1b) fortune, fate

oneאֶחָ֜ד'e-CHADH0259
one

אֶחָד (e.chad) 1) one (number) 1a) one (number) 1b) each, every 1c) a certain 1d) an (indefinite article) 1e) only, once, once for all 1f) one...another, the one...the other, one after another, one by one 1g) first 1h) eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal)

[belongs] to the righteousלַצַּדִּ֤יקla-tza-DIKH6662
righteous

צַדִּיק (tsad.diq) 1) just, lawful, righteous 1a) just, righteous (in government) 1b) just, right (in one's cause) 1c) just, righteous (in conduct and character) 1d) righteous (as justified and vindicated by God) 1e) right, correct, lawful

and to the wickedוְלָרָשָׁע֙ve-la-ra-SHA'H7563
wicked

רָשָׁע (ra.sah) 1) wicked, criminal 1a) guilty one, one guilty of crime (subst) 1b) wicked (hostile to God) 1c) wicked, guilty of sin (against God or man)

to the goodלַטּוֹב֙la-tOvH2896A
fine

טָב (tav) good Aramaic of tov (טוֹב "pleasant" H2896A)

and to the evilוְלָרַעve-la-RA'H7451HNo entry
and to the cleanוְלַטָּה֣וֹרve-la-ta-HORH2889
pure

טָהוֹר (ta.hor) 1) pure, clean 1a) clean (ceremonially-of animals) 1b) pure (physically) 1c) pure, clean (morally, ethically)

and to the uncleanוְלַטָּמֵ֔אve-la-ta-ME'H2931
unclean

טָמֵא (ta.me) 1) unclean, impure 1a) ethically and religiously 1b) ritually 1c) of places

and to the [one who] sacrificesוְלַזֹּבֵ֔חַve-la-zo-VE-achH2076
to sacrifice

דְּבַח (de.vach) (P'al) to sacrifice Aramaic of za.vach (זָבַח "to sacrifice" H2076)

and to [one] whoוְלַאֲשֶׁ֖רve-la-'a-SHERH0834A
which

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when

not heאֵינֶ֣נּוּ'ei-NE-nuH0369
nothing

אַ֫יִן (a.yin) 1) nothing, not, nought n 1a) nothing, nought neg 1b) not 1c) to have not (of possession) adv 1d) without w/prep 1e) for lack of

[is] sacrificingזֹבֵ֑חַzo-VE-achH2076
to sacrifice

דְּבַח (de.vach) (P'al) to sacrifice Aramaic of za.vach (זָבַח "to sacrifice" H2076)

as the good [person]כַּטּוֹב֙ka-tOvH2896A
fine

טָב (tav) good Aramaic of tov (טוֹב "pleasant" H2896A)

as the sinnerכַּֽחֹטֶ֔אka-cho-TE'H2398
to sin

חָטָא (cha.ta) 1) to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to miss 1a2) to sin, miss the goal or path of right and duty 1a3) to incur guilt, incur penalty by sin, forfeit 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to bear loss 1b2) to make a sin-offering 1b3) to purify from sin 1b4) to purify from uncleanness 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to miss the mark 1c2) to induce to sin, cause to sin 1c3) to bring into guilt or condemnation or punishment 1d) (Hithpael) 1d1) to miss oneself, lose oneself, wander from the way 1d2) to purify oneself from uncleanness

the [one who] swears an oathהַנִּשְׁבָּ֕עha-nish-BA'H7650
to swear

שָׁבַע (sha.va) 1) to swear, adjure 1a) (Qal) sworn (participle) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to swear, take an oath 1b2) to swear (of Jehovah by Himself) 1b3) to curse 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to cause to take an oath 1c2) to adjure

just asכַּאֲשֶׁ֖רka-'a-SHERH0834D
as which

כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka.a.sher) conj 1) according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when

an oathשְׁבוּעָ֥הshe-vu-'AHH7621
oath

שְׁבוּעָה (she.vu.ah) 1) oath, curse 1a) oath 1a1) attesting of innocence 1a2) curse 1b) oath (of Jehovah)

[one] fearingיָרֵֽא׃ya-RE'H3373
afraid

יָרֵא (ya.re) fearing, reverent, afraid

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.