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Read the Bible

New King James Version

Ecclesiastes 3:9

What profit has the worker from that in which he labors?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- The Topic Concordance - Time;   War/weapons;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Wisdom literature;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Time;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Garden;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, Book of;   Poetry;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ecclesiastes;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Providence;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Judgment, Divine;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for September 23;  

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
What gain has the worker from his toil?
Geneva Bible (1587)
What profite hath hee that worketh of the thing wherein he trauaileth?
Christian Standard Bible®
What does the worker gain from his struggles?
Hebrew Names Version
What profit has he who works in that in which he labors?
Easy-to-Read Version
Do people really gain anything from their hard work?
Amplified Bible
What profit is there for the worker from that in which he labors?
American Standard Version
What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboreth?
Contemporary English Version
What do we gain by all of our hard work?
Complete Jewish Bible
What does the worker gain from his efforts?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
What profit hath he that worketh in that he laboureth?
King James Version (1611)
What profite hath hee that worketh, in that wherein he laboureth?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
What advantage has he that works in those things wherein he labours?
English Revised Version
What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
Berean Standard Bible
What does the worker gain from his toil?
Lexham English Bible
What does the worker gain in his toil?
Literal Translation
What advantage has he who works in that which he did as a laborer?
New Century Version
Do people really gain anything from their work?
New English Translation
What benefit can a worker gain from his toil?
New Living Translation
What do people really get for all their hard work?
New Life Bible
What does the worker get for his work?
New Revised Standard
What gain have the workers from their toil?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
What profit hath he that worketh, in that wherein, himself, hath toiled?
Douay-Rheims Bible
What hath man more of his labour?
George Lamsa Translation
What profit has the worker in his labor?
Good News Translation
What do we gain from all our work?
New American Standard Bible
What benefit is there for the worker from that in which he labors?
King James Version
What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
What hath a man els that doth any thyng, but weerinesse and labour?
Darby Translation
What profit hath he that worketh from that wherein he laboureth?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
What hath a man more of his trauel?
Young's Literal Translation
What advantage hath the doer in that which he is labouring at?
World English Bible
What profit has he who works in that in which he labors?
Revised Standard Version
What gain has the worker from his toil?
Update Bible Version
What profit has he that works in that wherein he labors?
Webster's Bible Translation
What profit hath he that worketh in that in which he laboreth?
Bible in Basic English
What profit has the worker in the work which he does?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
What hath a ma els (that doth eny thinge) but weerynesse and laboure?
THE MESSAGE
But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? I've had a good look at what God has given us to do—busywork, mostly. True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time—but he's left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he's coming or going. I've decided that there's nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. That's it—eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It's God's gift.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils?
Legacy Standard Bible
What advantage is there to the worker from that in which he labors?

Contextual Overview

1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: 2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; 3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; 7 A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; 8 A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace. 9 What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 10 I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ecclesiastes 1:3, Ecclesiastes 2:11, Ecclesiastes 2:22, Ecclesiastes 2:23, Ecclesiastes 5:16, Proverbs 14:23, Matthew 16:26

Cross-References

Genesis 3:12
Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate."
Genesis 3:13
And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
Genesis 3:17
Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, "You shall not eat of it': "Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.
Genesis 3:19
In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return."
Genesis 3:20
And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.
Genesis 3:21
Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.
Genesis 4:9
Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"
Genesis 11:5
But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.
Genesis 16:8
And He said, "Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?" She said, "I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?] That is, he has none. This is an inference drawn from the above premises, and confirms what has been before observed, Ecclesiastes 1:3; Man has no profit of his labour, since his time is so short to enjoy it, and he leaves it to another, he knows not who; and, while he lives, is attended with continual vicissitudes and changes; sometimes it is a time for one thing, and sometimes for its contrary, so that there is nothing certain, and to be depended on; and a man can promise himself nothing in this world pleasant or profitable to him, and much less that will be of any advantage to him hereafter. The Targum adds,

"to make treasures and gather mammon, unless he is helped by Providence above;''

though it is man's duty to labour, yet all his toil and labour will be fruitless without a divine blessing; there is a time and season for everything in providence, and there is no striving against that.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 3:9. What profit hath he — What real good, what solid pleasure, is derived from all the labours of man? Necessity drives him to the principal part of his cares and toils; he labours that he may eat and drink; and he eats and drinks that he may be preserved alive, and kept from sickness and pain. Love of money, the basest of all passions, and restless ambition, drive men to many labours and expedients, which perplex and often destroy them. He, then, who lives without God, travails in pain all his days.


 
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