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Good News Translation
Ecclesiastes 4:16
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There is no limit to all the people who were before them, yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was -- yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
There was no end of all the people, all of whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them. Even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him; for this too is futility and striving after wind.
Many followed him at first, but later, they did not like him, either. So fame and power are useless, like chasing the wind.
There is no end to all the people; to all who were before them. Yet those who come later will not be happy with him. Surely this also is vanity (emptiness) and chasing after the wind.
There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was -- yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
There is none ende of all the people, nor of all that were before them, and they that come after, shall not reioyce in him: surely this is also vanitie and vexation of spirit.
There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be glad with him, for this too is vanity and striving after wind.
There is no limit to all the people who were before them, yet those who come later will not rejoice in the successor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
His followers could not even be counted. But years from now, no one will praise him—this makes no more sense than chasing the wind.
and that no limit was set for the number of his subjects. Nevertheless, those who come afterwards will not regard him highly. This too is certainly pointless and feeding on wind. Watch your step when you go to the house of God. Offering to listen is better than fools offering sacrifices, because they don't discern whether or not they are doing evil.
[There is] no end of all the people, of all that stood before them; those however that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after the wind.
Many people will follow this young man. But later, those same people will not like him. This is also senseless. It is like trying to catch the wind.
There is no end of all the people, even of all who have been before them; and those also who come after shall not rejoice in them. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
There is no end to all the people, to all who were before him. Yet the later generation will not rejoice in him, for this also is vanity and chasing wind!
There is no end to all the people, to all who have been before them; they also who come after shall not rejoice with him. Surely this is also vanity and striving after wind.
As for the people that haue bene before him, and that come after him, they are innumerable: yet is not their ioye the greater thorow him. This is also a vayne thinge and a vexacion of mynde.
There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was: yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
There was no end of all the people, of all those whose head he was, but they who come later will have no delight in him. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.
There was no end of all the people, even of all them whom he did lead; yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind. Guard thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be ready to hearken: it is better than when fools give sacrifices; for they know not that they do evil.
There is no end of all the people, euen of all that haue beene before them: they also that come after, shall not reioyce in him: surely this also is vanitie, and vexation of spirit.
As for the people that haue ben before him, and that come after him, they are innumerable, and they that come after him shall not reioyce in him: This is also a vayne thyng, and vexation of mynde.
There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them: and the last shall not rejoice in him: for this also is vanity and waywardness of spirit.
There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was: yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
The noumbre of puple, of alle that weren bifore hym, is greet with outen mesure, and thei that schulen come aftirward, schulen not be glad in hym; but also this is vanyte and turment of the spirit.
There was no end of all the people, even of all those over whom he was: yet those that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
[There is] no end of all the people, [even] of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
There is no end to all the people nor to the past generations, yet future generations will not rejoice in him. This also is profitless and like chasing the wind.
There was no end of all the people over whom he was made king; Yet those who come afterward will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and grasping for the wind.
Endless crowds stand around him, but then another generation grows up and rejects him, too. So it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.
There was no end to all the people. He ruled over all of them. Yet those who come later will not be happy with him. For this also is for nothing, like trying to catch the wind.
there was no end to all those people whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
There was no end to all the people, to all before whom he came, yet, they who should come later, would not rejoice in him, - surely, even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
The number of the people, of all that were before him is infinite: and they that shall come afterwards, shall not rejoice in him: but this also is vanity, and vexation of spirit.
there was no end of all the people; he was over all of them. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
there is no end to all the people, to all who were before them; also, the latter rejoice not in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him, for this too is vanity and striving after wind.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
no end: 2 Samuel 15:12, 2 Samuel 15:13, 1 Kings 1:5-7, 1 Kings 1:40, 1 Kings 12:10-16
they also: Judges 9:19, Judges 9:20, 2 Samuel 18:7, 2 Samuel 18:8, 2 Samuel 19:9
this: Ecclesiastes 1:14, Ecclesiastes 2:11, Ecclesiastes 2:17, Ecclesiastes 2:26
Reciprocal: Ecclesiastes 1:2 - General Ecclesiastes 4:4 - This is Ecclesiastes 5:10 - this Ecclesiastes 6:11 - General Ecclesiastes 11:8 - All that
Cross-References
That evening they heard the Lord God walking in the garden, and they hid from him among the trees.
You are driving me off the land and away from your presence. I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me."
When the people heard the thunder and the trumpet blast and saw the lightning and the smoking mountain, they trembled with fear and stood a long way off.
but the Lord was kind and merciful to them. He would not let them be destroyed, but helped them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He has never forgotten his people.
The Lord became so angry with the people of Jerusalem and Judah that he banished them from his sight.
"All right," the Lord said to Satan, "everything he has is in your power, but you must not hurt Job himself." So Satan left.
Then Satan left the Lord 's presence and made sores break out all over Job's body.
They will not live to see rivers of olive oil or streams that flow with milk and honey.
But all who find safety in you will rejoice; they can always sing for joy. Protect those who love you; because of you they are truly happy.
As smoke is blown away, so he drives them off; as wax melts in front of the fire, so do the wicked perish in God's presence.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
[There is] no end of all the people, [even] of all that have been before them,.... Before the present generation, the living that walked under the sun; a vast number they were that lived before them, and they were of the same restless temper and disposition; changeable in their affection and behaviour towards their governors; no end of their number, nor any stable affection for, nor settled satisfaction in, their rulers; but this itch of novelty, of having new princes over them, went from age to age, from generation to generation. Some understand this of the king and his son, the predecessor and successor, and of those that went before them; and of their behaviour to the kings that reigned before them; the people have not their end or satisfaction in their governors, but are restless: which comes to the same sense;
they also that come after shall not rejoice in him; that come after the present generation, and after both the reigning prince, and even after his successor; they will not rejoice long in him that shall be upon the throne after them, any more than the present subjects of the old king, or those that now pay their court to the heir apparent; they will be so far from rejoicing in him, that they will loath and despise him, and wish him dead or dethroned, and another in his room.
Surely this also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit; to a king, to see himself thus used by his subjects; for a short time extolled and praised, and then despised and forsaken.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
These verses set forth the vanity of earthly prosperity even on a throne. Opinion as to their application is chiefly divided between considering them a parable or fiction like that of the childless man in Ecclesiastes 4:8 : or as setting forth first the vicissitudes of royal life in two proverbial sayings Ecclesiastes 4:13-14, and then Ecclesiastes 4:15-16, the vicissitudes or procession of the whole human race, one generation giving place to another, Which in its turn will be forgotten by its successor. On the whole, the first appears to have the better claim.
Ecclesiastes 4:13
Child - Rather, young man.
Ecclesiastes 4:14
Rather: For out of the house of bondage he goes forth to be a king; although he was born poor in his kingdom, i. e., in the country over which he became king.
Ecclesiastes 4:15
I considered ... - literally, I saw “all the population of the young man’s kingdom.”
The second child - This second youth is generally understood to be identical with the one mentioned in Ecclesiastes 4:13.
Ecclesiastes 4:16
There is - Rather: There was.
That have been before them - Rather, before whom he was, i. e., at the head of whom the young king was. Compare Micah 2:13.
They also that ... him - i. e., The next generation shall forget this chosen king.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Ecclesiastes 4:16. There is no end of all the people — This is supposed to refer to the multitudes of people who hail the advent and accession of a new sovereign; for, as Suetonius remarks, A plerisque adorari solem orientem, "Most people adore the rising sun." But when the new king becomes old, very few regard him; and perhaps he lives long enough to be as much despised by the very persons who before were ready to worship him. This is also a miserable vanity. Thus the blooming heir -
"Shall feel the sad reverse: honoured awhile;
Then, like his sire, contemn'd, abhorr'd, forgot."
C.
