Ecclesiastes 3:16

The Problem of Injustice and Oppression

3:16 I saw something else on earth: ¹ 

In the place of justice, there was wickedness,

and in the place of fairness, ²  there was wickedness.

Ecclesiastes 7:25

True Righteousness and Wisdom are Virtually Nonexistent

7:25 I tried ³  to understand, examine, and comprehend ⁴ 

the role of ⁵  wisdom in the scheme of things, ⁶ 

and to understand the stupidity of wickedness ⁷  and the insanity of folly. ⁸ 

Ecclesiastes 8:8

8:8 Just as no one has power over the wind to restrain it, ⁹ 

so no one has power over the day of his ¹⁰  death.

Just as no one can be discharged during the battle, ¹¹ 

so wickedness cannot rescue the wicked. ¹² 

[3:16]  ¹ tn Heb “under the sun.”

[3:16]  ² tn Or “righteousness.”

[7:25]  ³ tn Heb “I turned, I, even my heart.”

[7:25]  ⁴ tn Heb “to seek.”

[7:25]  ⁵ tn The phrase “the role of” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.

[7:25]  ⁶ tn The phrase חָכְמָה וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן (khokhmah vÿkheshbon, “wisdom and the scheme of things”) is a hendiadys (a figure of speech in which two nouns connote one idea): “wisdom in the scheme of things.” This is similar to the hendiadys עִצְּבוֹנֵךְ וְהֵרֹנֵךְ (’itsÿvonekh vÿheronekh, “pain and childbearing”) which connotes “pain in childbearing” (Gen 3:16).

[7:25]  ⁷ tn Or “the evil of folly” The genitive construct phrase רֶשַׁע כֶּסֶל (resha’ kesel) may be taken as a genitive of attribution (“the wickedness of folly”) or as a genitive of attribute (“the folly of wickedness”). The English versions treat it in various ways: “wickedness of folly” (KJV); “wrong of folly” (YLT); “evil of folly” (NASB); “stupidity of wickedness” (NIV); “wickedness, stupidity” (NJPS); “wickedness is folly [or foolish]” (ASV, NAB, NRSV, MLB, Moffatt), and “it is folly to be wicked” (NEB).

[7:25]  ⁸ tn Or “the folly of madness” The genitive construct phrase וְהַסִּכְלוּת הוֹלֵלוֹת (vÿhassikhlut holelot) may be taken as a genitive of attribution (“the stupidity of wickedness”) or a genitive of attribute (“the evil of folly”). The phrase is rendered variously: “foolishness and madness” (KJV); “foolishness of madness” (NASB); “madness of folly” (NIV); “madness and folly” (NJPS); “the foolishness which is madness” (NEB); and “foolishness [or folly] is madness” (ASV, NAB, NRSV, MLB, Moffatt).

[8:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “There is not a man who has mastery over the wind to restrain the wind.”

[8:8]  ⁶ tn The word “his” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[8:8]  ⁷ tn Heb “There is no discharge in war.”

[8:8]  ⁸ tn Heb “its owners.”