Ecclesiastes 7:14

7:14 In times of prosperity ¹  be joyful,

but in times of adversity ²  consider this:

God has made one as well as the other, ³ 

so that no one can discover what the future holds. ⁴ 

Ecclesiastes 8:8

8:8 Just as no one has power over the wind to restrain it, ⁵ 

so no one has power over the day of his ⁶  death.

Just as no one can be discharged during the battle, ⁷ 

so wickedness cannot rescue the wicked. ⁸ 

Ecclesiastes 8:16

Limitations of Human Wisdom

8:16 When I tried ⁹  to gain ¹⁰  wisdom

and to observe the activity ¹¹  on earth –

even though it prevents anyone from sleeping day or night ¹²  –

[7:14]  ¹ tn Heb “the day of good.”

[7:14]  ² tn Heb “the day of evil.”

[7:14]  ³ tn Less probable renderings of this line are “God hath made the one side by side with the other” (ASV) and “God has set the one alongside the other” (NEB).

[7:14]  ⁴ tn Heb “anything after him.” This line is misinterpreted by several versions: “that man may not find against him any just complaint” (Douay); “consequently, man may find no fault with Him” (NJPS); “so that man cannot find fault with him in anything” (NAB).

[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.”

[8:16]  ⁹ tn Heb “I applied my heart.”

[8:16]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “to know.”

[8:16]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and to see the business which is done.”

[8:16]  ¹² tn Heb “for no one sees sleep with their eyes either day or night.” The construction גַם …כִּי (ki… gam) expresses a concessive sense: “even though” (e.g., Ps 23:4; Prov 22:6; Eccl 4:14; Isa 1:15; Lam 3:8; Hos 8:10; 9:16); cf. HALOT 196 s.v. גַּם 9; BDB 169 s.v. גַּם 6; 473 s.v. כִּי 2.c.