ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Passage

Ecclesiastes 3.12-13

Book: Ecclesiastes · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

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ASV (ASV)

"10. I have seen the travail which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith. 11. He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end."

"12. I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good so long as they live. 13. And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God."

"14. I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it; and God hath done it, that men should fear before him. 15. That which is hath been long ago; and that which is to be hath long ago been: and God seeketh again that which is passed away." (Ecclesiastes 3:10-15, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"10. I have seen the burden which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with. 11. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man can’t find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end."

"12. I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live. 13. Also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God."

"14. I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God has done it, that men should fear before him. 15. That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago: and God seeks again that which is passed away." (Ecclesiastes 3:10-15, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"10. I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. 11. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end."

"12. I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. 13. And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God."

"14. I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. 15. That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past. that which is past: Heb. that which is driven away" (Ecclesiastes 3:10-15, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"10. I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it. 11. The whole He hath made beautiful in its season; also, that knowledge He hath put in their heart without which man findeth not out the work that God hath done from the beginning even unto the end."

"12. I have known that there is no good for them except to rejoice and to do good during their life, 13. yea, even every man who eateth and hath drunk and seen good by all his labour, it [is] a gift of God."

"14. I have known that all that God doth is to the age, to it nothing is to be added, and from it nothing is to be withdrawn; and God hath wrought that they do fear before Him. 15. What is that which hath been? already it is, and that which [is] to be hath already been, and God requireth that which is pursued." (Ecclesiastes 3:10-15, YLT)

Setting

  • Speaker: Qohelet (traditionally Solomon)
  • Audience: wisdom-seekers facing life's apparent vanity
  • Location: Israel
  • Time period: traditionally c. 935 BC (Solomon); some scholars date later c. 450-200 BC

Theological reading

Key words

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.