Ecclesiastes 3:12

Enjoy Life in the Present

3:12 I have concluded ¹  that there is nothing better for people ² 

than ³  to be happy and to enjoy

themselves ⁴  as long as they live,

Ecclesiastes 5:14

5:14 Then that wealth was lost through bad luck; ⁵ 

although he fathered a son, he has nothing left to give him. ⁶ 

Ecclesiastes 7:20

7:20 For ⁷  there is not one truly ⁸  righteous person on the earth

who continually does good and never sins.

Ecclesiastes 8:7

8:7 Surely no one knows the future, ⁹ 

and no one can tell another person what will happen. ¹⁰ 

Ecclesiastes 9:16

9:16 So I concluded that wisdom is better than might, ¹¹ 

but a poor man’s wisdom is despised; no one ever listens ¹²  to his advice. ¹³ 

Ecclesiastes 10:11

10:11 If the snake should bite before it is charmed, ¹⁴ 

the snake charmer ¹⁵  is in trouble. ¹⁶ 

[3:12]  ¹ tn Heb “I know.”

[3:12]  ² tn Heb “for them”; the referent (people, i.e., mankind) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:12]  ³ tn Qoheleth uses the exceptive particle אִם…כִּי (ki…’im, “except”) to identify the only exception to the futility within man’s life (BDB 474 s.v. כִּי 2).

[3:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “to do good.” The phrase לַעֲשׂוֹת טוֹב (la’asot tov) functions idiomatically for “to experience [or see] happiness [or joy].” The verb עָשַׂה (’asah) probably denotes “to acquire; to obtain” (BDB 795 s.v. עָשַׂה II.7), and טוֹב (tov) means “good; pleasure; happiness,” e.g., Eccl 2:24; 3:13; 5:17 (BDB 375 s.v. טוֹב 1).

[5:14]  ⁵ tn Or “through a bad business deal.” The basic meaning of עִנְיַן (’inyan) is “business; affair” (HALOT 857 s.v. עִנְיָן) or “occupation; task” (BDB 775 s.v. עִנְיָן). The term is used in a specific sense in reference to business activity (Eccl 8:16), as well as in a more general sense in reference to events that occur on earth (Eccl 1:13; 4:8). BDB suggests that the phrase עִנְיַן רָע (’inyan ra’) in 5:13 refers to a bad business deal (BDB 775 s.v. עִנְיָן); however, HALOT suggests that it means “bad luck” (HALOT 857 s.v. עִנְיָן). The English versions reflect the same two approaches: (1) bad luck: “some misfortune” (NAB, NIV) and (2) a bad business deal: “a bad investment” (NASB), “a bad venture” (RSV, NRSV, MLB), “some unlucky venture” (Moffatt, NJPS), “an unlucky venture” (NEB), “an evil adventure” (ASV).

[5:14]  ⁶ tn Heb “there is nothing in his hand.”

[7:20]  ⁹ tn The introductory particle כִּי (ki) is rendered variously: “for” (KJV); “indeed” (NASB); not translated (NIV); “for” (NJPS). The particle functions in an explanatory sense, explaining the need for wisdom in v. 19. Righteousness alone cannot always protect a person from calamity (7:15-16); therefore, something additional, such as wisdom, is needed. The need for wisdom as protection from calamity is particularly evident in the light of the fact that no one is truly righteous (7:19-20).

[7:20]  ¹⁰ tn The term “truly” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity. Qoheleth does not deny the existence of some people who are relatively righteous.

[8:7]  ¹³ tn Heb “what will be.”

[8:7]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Who can tell him what will be?”

[9:16]  ¹⁷ tn Or “power.”

[9:16]  ¹⁸ tn The participle form נִשְׁמָעִים (nishma’im, Niphal participle mpl from שָׁמַע, “to listen”) is used verbally to emphasize a continual, durative, gnomic action.

[9:16]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “his words are never listened to.”

[10:11]  ²¹ tn Heb “without charming.”

[10:11]  ²² tn Heb “the master of the tongue.”

[10:11]  ²³ tn Heb “has no profit”; ASV, NAB, NRSV “there is no advantage.”