Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, October 8th, 2024
the Week of Proper 22 / Ordinary 27
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Read the Bible

New Living Translation

Ecclesiastes 2:9

So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Epicureans;   Investigation;   Pleasure;   Solomon;   Vanity;   Wisdom;   Worldliness;   Thompson Chain Reference - Great;   Honour-Dishonour;   Men;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Vanity;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Joy;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, the Book of;   Jerusalem;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, Book of;   Israel, History of;   Jewels, Jewelry;   Joy;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ecclesiastes;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Winter ;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher;   Mad;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for October 1;  

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And I was greater and in more worship then all my predecessours in Hierusalem: For wisdome remayned with me.
Darby Translation
And I became great, and increased more than all that had been before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
New King James Version
So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.
Literal Translation
And I became great and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom stayed with me.
Easy-to-Read Version
I became very rich and famous. I was greater than anyone who lived in Jerusalem before me. My wisdom was always there to help me.
World English Bible
So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
King James Version (1611)
So I was great, and increased more then all that were before mee in Ierusalem; also my wisedome remained with me.
King James Version
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
(Shortly) I was greater & in more worshipe, then all my predecessours in Ierusale. For wy?dome remayned with me:
THE MESSAGE
Oh, how I prospered! I left all my predecessors in Jerusalem far behind, left them behind in the dust. What's more, I kept a clear head through it all. Everything I wanted I took—I never said no to myself. I gave in to every impulse, held back nothing. I sucked the marrow of pleasure out of every task—my reward to myself for a hard day's work!
Amplified Bible
So I became great and excelled more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
American Standard Version
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
Bible in Basic English
And I became great; increasing more than all who had been before me in Jerusalem, and my wisdom was still with me.
Update Bible Version
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
Webster's Bible Translation
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
New English Translation
So I was far wealthier than all my predecessors in Jerusalem, yet I maintained my objectivity:
Contemporary English Version
I was the most famous person who had ever lived in Jerusalem, and I was very wise.
Complete Jewish Bible
So I grew great, surpassing all who preceded me in Yerushalayim; my wisdom, too, stayed with me.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And I was great, & increased aboue all that were before me in Ierusalem: also my wisedome remained with me.
George Lamsa Translation
So I became great, and my wealth increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom also remained with me.
Hebrew Names Version
So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Yerushalayim. My wisdom also remained with me.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom stood me in stead.
New Life Bible
Then I became great, greater than all who lived before me in Jerusalem. And my wisdom stayed with me.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
So I became great, and advanced beyond all that were before in Jerusalem: also my wisdom was established to me.
English Revised Version
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
Berean Standard Bible
So I became great and surpassed all in Jerusalem who had preceded me; and my wisdom remained with me.
New Revised Standard
So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So I became great, and increased, more than any one who had been before me in Jerusalem, - moreover, my wisdom, remained with me;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I surpassed in riches all that were before me in Jerusalem: my wisdom also remained with me.
Lexham English Bible
Thus, I accomplished far more than anyone who was before me in Jerusalem—indeed, my wisdom stood by me.
English Standard Version
So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.
New American Standard Bible
Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.
New Century Version
I became very famous, even greater than anyone who had lived in Jerusalem before me. My wisdom helped me in all this.
Good News Translation
Yes, I was great, greater than anyone else who had ever lived in Jerusalem, and my wisdom never failed me.
Christian Standard Bible®
So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom also remained with me.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and Y passide in richessis alle men, that weren bifor me in Jerusalem. Also wisdom dwellide stabli with me,
Revised Standard Version
So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me.
Young's Literal Translation
And I became great, and increased above every one who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood with me.

Contextual Overview

1 I said to myself, "Come on, let's try pleasure. Let's look for the ‘good things' in life." But I found that this, too, was meaningless. 2 So I said, "Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?" 3 After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world. 4 I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves. 7 I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me. 8 I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire! 9 So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me. 10 Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ecclesiastes 1:16, 1 Kings 3:12, 1 Kings 10:7, 1 Kings 10:23, 1 Chronicles 29:25, 2 Chronicles 1:1, 2 Chronicles 9:22, 2 Chronicles 9:23

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 1:12 - such as none

Cross-References

Genesis 2:8
Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there he placed the man he had made.
Genesis 2:9
The Lord God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground—trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 2:17
except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die."
Genesis 3:3
"It's only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.'"
Deuteronomy 6:25
For we will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the Lord our God has given us.'
Proverbs 3:18
Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly.
Proverbs 11:30
The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life; a wise person wins friends.
Isaiah 44:25
I expose the false prophets as liars and make fools of fortune-tellers. I cause the wise to give bad advice, thus proving them to be fools.
Isaiah 47:10
"You felt secure in your wickedness. ‘No one sees me,' you said. But your ‘wisdom' and ‘knowledge' have led you astray, and you said, ‘I am the only one, and there is no other.'
Ezekiel 31:16
I made the nations shake with fear at the sound of its fall, for I sent it down to the grave with all the others who descend to the pit. And all the other proud trees of Eden, the most beautiful and the best of Lebanon, the ones whose roots went deep into the water, took comfort to find it there with them in the depths of the earth.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So I was great,.... Became famous for the great works wrought by him before mentioned;

and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem; the Targum adds, "in riches"; but it seems rather to respect his fame and glory among men; though in general it may include his increase of wealth, power, and honour, and everything that contributed to his external happiness;

also my wisdom remained with me; the Targum adds, "and it helped me"; which he exercised and showed in the government of his kingdom, in the conduct of his family, in his personal deportment and behaviour; amidst all his pleasures, he did not neglect the study of natural knowledge, nor give himself up to sordid and sinful lusts; and so was a better judge of pleasure, whether true happiness consisted in it or not.


 
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