ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Passage

Ecclesiastes 9.5

Book: Ecclesiastes · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

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ASV (ASV)

"3. This is an evil in all that is 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. 4. For to him that is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion."

"5. For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten."

"6. As well their love, as their hatred and their envy, is perished long ago; neither have they any more a portion for ever in anything that is done under the sun. 7. Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God hath already accepted thy works." (Ecclesiastes 9:3-7, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"3. This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes 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. 4. For to him who is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion."

"5. For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten."

"6. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun. 7. Go your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works." (Ecclesiastes 9:3-7, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"3. This 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. 4. For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion."

"5. For 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."

"6. Also 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. 7. Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works." (Ecclesiastes 9:3-7, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"3. This [is] an evil among all that hath been done under the sun, that one event [is] to all, and also the heart of the sons of man is full of evil, and madness [is] in their heart during their life, and after it, unto the dead. 4. But [to] him who is joined unto all the living there is confidence, for to a living dog it [is] better than to the dead lion."

"5. For the living know that they die, and the dead know not anything, and there is no more to them a reward, for their remembrance hath been forgotten."

"6. Their love also, their hatred also, their envy also, hath already perished, and they have no more a portion to the age in all that hath been done under the sun. 7. Go, eat with joy thy bread, and drink with a glad heart thy wine, for already hath God been pleased with thy works." (Ecclesiastes 9:3-7, 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.