Ecclesiastes 2:18

Complete Jewish Bible

I hated all the things for which I had worked under the sun, because I saw that I would have to leave them to the man who will come after me.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I hated all my work that I labored at under the sun because I must leave it to the one who comes after me.

Hebrew Names Version
I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who comes after me.

King James Version
Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

English Standard Version
I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me,

New American Standard Bible
So I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me.

New Century Version
I hated all the things I had worked for here on earth, because I must leave them to someone who will live after me.

Amplified Bible
So I hated all the fruit (gain) of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will succeed me.

World English Bible
I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who comes after me.

Geneva Bible (1587)
I hated also all my labour, wherein I had trauailed vnder the sunne, which I shall leaue to the man that shalbe after me.

Legacy Standard Bible
Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me.

Berean Standard Bible
I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.

Contemporary English Version
Suddenly I realized that others would someday get everything I had worked for so hard, then I started hating it all.

Darby Translation
And I hated all my labour wherewith I had been toiling under the sun, because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

Easy-to-Read Version
I began to hate all the hard work I had done, because I saw that the people who live after me would get the things that I worked for. I will not be able to take them with me.

George Lamsa Translation
Yea, I hated all my labor with which I had labored under the sun because I must leave it to the man who shall come after me.

Good News Translation
Nothing that I had worked for and earned meant a thing to me, because I knew that I would have to leave it to my successor,

Lexham English Bible
So I hated all my toil with which I have toiled under the sun, for I must leave it behind to someone who will be after me.

Literal Translation
Yes, I, a laborer, hated all my labor under the sun, that I must leave it to the man who will be after me.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yee I was weery of all my laboure, which I had taken vnder the Sonne, because I shulde be fayne to leaue them vnto another man, that cometh after me:

American Standard Version
And I hated all my labor wherein I labored under the sun, seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

Bible in Basic English
Hate had I for all my work which I had done, because the man who comes after me will have its fruits.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And I hated all my labour wherein I laboured under the sun, seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

King James Version (1611)
Yea I hated all my labour which I had taken vnder the Sunne: because I should leaue it vnto the man that shalbe after mee.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Yea I was weery of my labour which I had taken vnder the sunne, because I shoulde be fayne to leaue them vnto another man that commeth after me:

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And I hated the whole of my labour which I took under the sun; because I must leave it to the man who will come after me.

English Revised Version
And I hated all my labour wherein I laboured under the sun: seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Eft Y curside al my bisynesse, bi which Y trauelide moost studiousli vndur sunne, and Y schal haue an eir after me,

Update Bible Version
And I hated all my labor wherein I labored under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to man that shall be after me.

Webster's Bible Translation
Yes, I hated all my labor which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it to the man that shall be after me.

New English Translation
So I loathed all the fruit of my effort, for which I worked so hard on earth, because I must leave it behind in the hands of my successor.

New King James Version
Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me.

New Living Translation
I came to hate all my hard work here on earth, for I must leave to others everything I have earned.

New Life Bible
I hated what came from all my work which I had done under the sun. For I must leave it to the man who will come after me.

New Revised Standard
I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to those who come after me

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Therefore hated, I, all my toil, wherein I was toiling, under the sun, - in that I should leave it for the man who should come after me;

Douay-Rheims Bible
Again I hated all my application wherewith I had earnestly laboured under the sun, being like to have an heir after me,

Revised Standard Version
I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me;

Young's Literal Translation
And I have hated all my labour that I labour at under the sun, because I leave it to a man who is after me.

THE MESSAGE
And I hated everything I'd accomplished and accumulated on this earth. I can't take it with me—no, I have to leave it to whoever comes after me. Whether they're worthy or worthless—and who's to tell?—they'll take over the earthly results of my intense thinking and hard work. Smoke.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me.

Contextual Overview

¹⁷ So I came to hate life, because the activities done under the sun were loathesome to me, since everything is meaningless and feeding on wind. ¹⁸ I hated all the things for which I had worked under the sun, because I saw that I would have to leave them to the man who will come after me. ¹⁹ Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the things I worked for and which demonstrated how wise I am under the sun. This too is pointless. ²⁰ Thus I came to despair over all the things I had worked for under the sun. ²¹ Here is a man whose work is done with wisdom, knowledge and skill; yet he has to leave it to someone who has put no work into it. This is not only pointless, but a great evil. ²² For what does a person get from all his efforts and ambitions permeating the work he does under the sun? ²³ His whole life is one of pain, and his work is full of stress; even at night his mind gets no rest. This too is pointless. ²⁴ So there is nothing better for a man to do than eat, drink and and let himself enjoy the good that results from his work. I also realized that this is from God's hand. ²⁵ For who will eat and who will enjoy except me? ²⁶ For to the man who is good from [God's] viewpoint he gives wisdom, knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the task of collecting and accumulating things to leave to him who is good from God's viewpoint. This too is pointless and feeding on wind.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I hated: Ecclesiastes 2:4-9, Ecclesiastes 1:13, Ecclesiastes 4:3, Ecclesiastes 5:18, Ecclesiastes 9:9

taken: Heb. laboured

I should: Ecclesiastes 2:26, Ecclesiastes 5:13, Ecclesiastes 5:14, 1 Kings 11:11-13, Psalms 17:14, Psalms 39:6, Psalms 49:10, Luke 12:20, Luke 16:27, Luke 16:28, Acts 20:29, Acts 20:30, 1 Corinthians 3:10

Reciprocal: Exodus 1:8 - a new king 1 Kings 14:26 - the shields of gold 2 Chronicles 6:10 - I am risen Esther 8:1 - give the house Esther 8:2 - Esther set Job 14:21 - he knoweth it not Job 20:22 - the fulness Job 21:21 - For what Proverbs 15:16 - great Proverbs 17:25 - General Proverbs 19:13 - foolish Proverbs 27:11 - be wise Ecclesiastes 2:21 - whose Ecclesiastes 5:10 - this Ecclesiastes 9:6 - have they Daniel 11:4 - and shall be Zechariah 9:6 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 1:31
God saw everything that he had made, and indeed it was very good. So there was evening, and there was morning, a sixth day.

Genesis 2:7
Then Adonai , God, formed a person from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, so that he became a living being.

Genesis 2:9
Out of the ground Adonai , God, caused to grow every tree pleasing in appearance and good for food, including the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 2:11
The name of the first is Pishon; it winds throughout the land of Havilah, where there is gold.

Genesis 2:12
The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx stone are also found there.

Genesis 2:13
The name of the second river is Gichon; it winds throughout the land of Kush.

Genesis 3:12
The man replied, "The woman you gave to be with me — she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate."

Ruth 3:1
Na‘omi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, I should be seeking security for you; so that things will go well with you.

Proverbs 18:22
He who finds a wife finds a great good; he has won the favor of Adonai .

1 Corinthians 7:36
Now if a man thinks he is behaving dishonorably by treating his fiancée this way, and if there is strong sexual desire, so that marriage is what ought to happen; then let him do what he wants — he is not sinning: let them get married.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun,.... The great works he made, the houses he built; the vineyards, gardens, and orchards he planted, c. what he got by his labour, his riches and wealth and what he also got, not by the labour of his hands, but of his mind. Some understand this of the books he wrote; which were a weariness to his body, and fatigue to his mind; and which he might fear some persons would make an ill use of: Aben Ezra interprets it of his labour in this book. All which he had no great regard unto, since it was to be left to another;

because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me; because he could not enjoy the fruits of his labour himself, at least but a very short time: but must be obliged to leave all to another, his possessions, estates, riches, and treasure; which a man cannot carry with him when he dies, but must leave all behind him, to his heirs and successors x. The Targum is,

"because I shall leave it to Rehoboam my son, who shall come after me; and Jeroboam his servant shall come and take ten tribes out of his hands, and possess half the kingdom.''

x "Rape, congere, aufer, posside, relinquendum est." Martial. Epigr. l. 8. Ep. 43.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Solomon having found that wisdom and folly agree in being subject to vanity, now contrasts one with the other Ecclesiastes 2:13. Both are brought under vanity by events Ecclesiastes 2:14 which come on the wise man and the feel alike from without - death and oblivion Ecclesiastes 2:16, uncertainty Ecclesiastes 2:19, disappointment Ecclesiastes 2:21 - all happening by an external law beyond human control. Amidst this vanity, the good (see Ecclesiastes 2:10 note) that accrues to man, is the pleasure felt Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 in receiving God’s gifts, and in working with and for them.

Ecclesiastes 2:12

What can the man do ... - i. e., “What is any man - in this study of wisdom and folly - after one like me, who, from my position, have had such special advantages (see Ecclesiastes 1:16, and compare Ecclesiastes 2:25) for carrying it on? That which man did of old he can but do again: he is not likely to add to the result of my researches, nor even to equal them.” Some hold that the “man” is a reference to Solomon’s successor - not in his inquiries, but in his kingdom, i. e., Jeroboam.

Ecclesiastes 2:14

Event - Or, “hap” Ruth 2:3. The verb from which it is derived seems in this book to refer especially to death. The word does not mean chance (compare Ecclesiastes 9:1-2), independent of the ordering of Divine Providence: the Gentile notion of “mere chance,” or “blind fate,” is never once contemplated by the writer of this book, and it would be inconsistent with his tenets of the unlimited power and activity of God.

Ecclesiastes 2:16

Seeing that ... - Compare Ecclesiastes 1:11. Some render, “as in time past, so in days to come, all will be forgotten;” others, “because in the days to come all will have been long before forgotten.”

Ecclesiastes 2:17

I hated life - Compare this expression, extorted from Solomon by the perception of the vanity of his wisdom and greatness, with Romans 8:22-23. The words of Moses Numbers 11:15, and of Job Job 3:21; Job 6:9, are scarcely less forcible. With some people, this feeling is a powerful motive to conversion Luke 14:26.

Ecclesiastes 2:19

Labour - Compare Ecclesiastes 2:4-8.

Ecclesiastes 2:20

I went about - i. e., I turned from one course of action to another.

Ecclesiastes 2:23

Are sorrows ... grief - Rather, sorrows and grief are his toil. See Ecclesiastes 1:13.

Ecclesiastes 2:24

Nothing better for a man, than that ... - literally, no good in man that etc. The one joy of working or receiving, which, though it be transitory, a man recognizes as a real good, even that is not in the power of man to secure for himself: that good is the gift of God.

Ecclesiastes 2:26

The doctrine of retribution, or, the revealed fact that God is the moral Governor of the world, is here stated for the first time (compare Ecclesiastes 3:15, Ecclesiastes 3:17 ff) in this book.

This also is vanity - Not only the travail of the sinner. Even the best gifts of God, wisdom, knowledge, and joy, so far as they are given in this life, are not permanent, and are not always (see Ecclesiastes 9:11) efficacious for the purpose for which they appear to be given.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 18. I hated all my labour — Because,

1. It has not answered the end for which it was instituted.

2. I can enjoy the fruits of it but a short time.

3. I must leave it to others, and know not whether a wise man, a knave, or a fool will possess it.