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New King James Version
Ecclesiastes 7:15
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In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing.
I haue seene all things in the dayes of my vanitie: there is a iust man that perisheth in his iustice, and there is a wicked man that continueth long in his malice.
In my futile life I have seen everything: someone righteous perishes in spite of his righteousness, and someone wicked lives long in spite of his evil.
All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evil-doing.
All [this] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous [man] that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his days] by his wickedness.
In my short life, I have seen everything. I have seen good people die young, and I have seen evil people live long lives.
I have seen everything during my [fleeting] days of futility; there is a righteous man who perishes in [spite of] his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives a long life in [spite of] his wickedness.
All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his evil-doing.
I have seen everything during this senseless life of mine. I have seen good citizens die for doing the right thing, and I have seen criminals live to a ripe old age.
In my pointless life, I've seen everything — from the righteous person perishing in his uprightness to the wicked one who lives a long life and keeps on doing wrong.
All things have I seen in the days of my vanity; there is a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his evil-doing.
All things haue I seene in the dayes of my vanitie: there is a iust man that perisheth in his righteousnes, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickednes.
In the day of prosperity live joyfully, and consider in the day of adversity: consider, I say, God also has caused the one to agree with the other for this reason, that man should find nothing after him.
All this have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his evil-doing.
In my futile life I have seen both of these: A righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.
I have seen all these things in my vain life: Sometimes a righteous man perishes in spite of his righteousness, and sometimes a wicked man lives a long life in spite of his evil.
All things I have seen in the days of my vanity; there is a just man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked one who prolongs his life in his evil.
In my useless life I have seen both of these: I have seen good people die in spite of their goodness and evil people live a long time in spite of their evil.
During the days of my fleeting life I have seen both of these things: Sometimes a righteous person dies prematurely in spite of his righteousness, and sometimes a wicked person lives long in spite of his evil deeds.
I have seen everything in this meaningless life, including the death of good young people and the long life of wicked people.
In the days of my life I have seen everything, but my life has been worth nothing. There is a right and good man who is destroyed while he is right and good. And there is a sinful man who lives long in his wrong-doing.
In my vain life I have seen everything; there are righteous people who perish in their righteousness, and there are wicked people who prolong their life in their evildoing.
Everything, had I seen, in my days of vanity, - Here was a righteous man, perishing in his righteousness, and there was a lawless man, continuing long in his wickedness.
(7-16) These things also I saw in the days of my vanity: A just man perisheth in his justice, and a wicked man liveth a long time in his wickedness.
All things have I seen in the days of my vanity; there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness.
My life has been useless, but in it I have seen everything. Some good people may die while others live on, even though they are evil.
I have seen everything during my lifetime of futility; there is a righteous person who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked person who prolongs his life in his wickedness.
All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.
All thinges haue I considered in the time of my vanitie: that the iust man perisheth for his righteousnesse sake, & the vngodly liueth in his wickednesse.
Also Y siy these thingis in the daies of my natyuyte; a iust man perischith in his riytfulnesse, and a wickid man lyueth myche tyme in his malice.
The whole I have considered in the days of my vanity. There is a righteous one perishing in his righteousness, and there is a wrong-doer prolonging [himself] in his wrong.
All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evil-doing.
In my vain life I have seen everything; there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evil-doing.
All this I have seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man that perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongs [his life] in his evil-doing.
All [things] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just [man] that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his life] in his wickedness.
These two have I seen in my life which is to no purpose: a good man coming to his end in his righteousness, and an evil man whose days are long in his evil-doing.
These ij. thiges also haue I cosidred in ye tyme of vanite: yt the iust man perisheth for his rightuousnes sake, & the vngodly liueth in his wickednesse.
I've seen it all in my brief and pointless life—here a good person cut down in the middle of doing good, there a bad person living a long life of sheer evil. So don't knock yourself out being good, and don't go overboard being wise. Believe me, you won't get anything out of it. But don't press your luck by being bad, either. And don't be reckless. Why die needlessly?
I have seen everything during my lifetime of futility; there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness.
I have seen everything during my days of vanity; there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
have I: Ecclesiastes 2:23, Ecclesiastes 5:16, Ecclesiastes 5:17, Ecclesiastes 6:12, Genesis 47:9, Psalms 39:6
there is a just: Ecclesiastes 3:16, Ecclesiastes 8:14, Ecclesiastes 9:1, Ecclesiastes 9:2, 1 Samuel 22:18, 1 Samuel 22:19, 1 Kings 21:13, 2 Chronicles 24:21, 2 Chronicles 24:22, Job 9:22, Job 9:23, Matthew 23:34, Matthew 23:35, John 16:2, Acts 7:52
there is a wicked: Ecclesiastes 8:12, Ecclesiastes 8:13, Job 21:7-15, Psalms 73:3-13, Isaiah 65:20, Jeremiah 12:1, Jeremiah 12:2
Reciprocal: Genesis 18:25 - that the Job 4:7 - who ever Psalms 73:4 - no Proverbs 24:30 - went Ecclesiastes 9:13 - General
Cross-References
And the waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered.
The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered.
"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
All [things] have I seen in the days of my vanity,.... Or, "all these things" u. What goes before and follows after, the various changes men are subject unto, both good and bad; these he had made his observations upon, throughout the course of his life, which had been a vain one, as every man's is, full of evil and trouble; see Ecclesiastes 6:12; perhaps the wise man may have some respect to the times of his apostasy; and which might, among other things, be brought on by this; observing good men afflicted, and the wicked prosper, which has often been a stumbling to good men;
there is a just [man] that perisheth in his righteousness; not eternally; no truly just man ever perished, who is made so by the righteousness of Christ imputed to him; for though the righteous man is said to be scarcely saved, yet he is certainly saved: it can be true only in this sense of one that is only outwardly righteous, that trusts to his own righteousness, in which he may perish; but this is to be understood temporally and corporeally; one that is really just may perish in his name, in his substance, as well as at death, and that on account of his righteousness; he may lose his good name and character, and his substance, for righteousness's sake; yea, his life also, as Abel, Naboth, and others; this is the case "sometimes", as Aben Ezra observes, not always: or a just man, notwithstanding his righteousness, dies, and sometimes lives but a short time; which sense the antithesis seems to require;
and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his life] in his wickedness; is very wicked, and yet, notwithstanding his great wickedness, lives a long time in the world; see Job 21:7.
u את כל "illa omnia", Junius Tremellius, Piscator, Tigurine version, Gejerus "omnia haec", Mercerus; "universa haec", Rambachius.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
The days of my vanity - This does not imply that those days of vanity were ended (see Ecclesiastes 1:12 note).
The meaning may be best explained by a paraphrase. Solomon states how the wise man should regard the “crooked Ecclesiastes 7:13 work of God” when it bears upon him. He says in effect, “Do not think that thou couldest alter the two instances (described in Ecclesiastes 7:15) of such crooked work so as to make it straight, that thou art more righteous or more wise than He is Who ordained these events. To set up thy judgment in opposition to His would imply an excess of wickedness and folly, deserving the punishment of premature death. But rather it is good for thee to grasp these seeming anomalies; if thou ponder them they will tend to impress on thee that fear of God which is a part of wisdom, and will guide thee safely through all the perplexities of this life” (compare Ecclesiastes 8:12-13). The suggestion that these verses are intended to advocate a middle course between sin and virtue is at variance with the whole tenor of the book.
Ecclesiastes 7:16
Destroy thyself - The Septuagint and Vulgate render it: “be amazed.” Compare “marvel not” Ecclesiastes 5:8.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 15. There is a just man that perisheth — This is another objection as if he had said, "l also have had considerable experience; and I have not discovered any marked approbation of the conduct of the righteous, or disapprobation of that of the wicked. On the contrary, I have seen a righteous man perish, while employed in the work of righteousness; and a wicked man prosperous, and even exalted, while living wickedly. The former is indeed a victim to his righteousness, while the life and prosperity of the latter were preserved: hence I conclude, it is not prudent, whatever good there may be in religion, and whatever excellence in wisdom, that men should be overmuch righteous, or over-wise: for why should they by austerity and hard study destroy themselves?" So far the objector.
