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Read the Bible

Revised Standard Version

Ecclesiastes 3:12

I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live;

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Contentment;   Happiness;   The Topic Concordance - Enjoyment;   God;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Life, Natural;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Time;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ecclesiastes;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Life;   Nothing;   Providence;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for September 21;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the good life.
Hebrew Names Version
I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live.
King James Version
I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
English Standard Version
I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live;
New American Standard Bible
I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime;
New Century Version
So I realize that the best thing for them is to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live.
Amplified Bible
I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good as long as they live;
World English Bible
I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live.
Geneva Bible (1587)
I know that there is nothing good in them, but to reioyce, and to doe good in his life.
Legacy Standard Bible
I know that there is nothing better for them than to be glad and to do good in one's lifetime;
Berean Standard Bible
I know that there is nothing better for men than to rejoice and do good while they live,
Contemporary English Version
I know the best thing we can do is to always enjoy life,
Complete Jewish Bible
I know that there is nothing better for them to do than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live.
Darby Translation
I know that there is nothing good for them but to rejoice and to do well in their life;
Easy-to-Read Version
I learned that the best thing for people to do is to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live.
George Lamsa Translation
I know that there is no good in worldly things, but for men to rejoice and to do good in their lives.
Good News Translation
So I realized that all we can do is be happy and do the best we can while we are still alive.
Lexham English Bible
So I realized that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy themselves during their lives.
Literal Translation
I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice to do good in his life.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
So I perceaued, yt in these thinges there is nothinge better for a man, the to be mery & to do well so longe as he lyueth.
American Standard Version
I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good so long as they live.
Bible in Basic English
I am certain that there is nothing better for a man than to be glad, and to do good while life is in him.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to get pleasure so long as they live.
King James Version (1611)
I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to reioyce, and to doe good in his life.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
So I perceaued that in those thinges there is nothyng better for a man then to be mery, and to do well as long as he lyueth.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
I know that there is no good in them, except for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
English Revised Version
I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good so long as they live.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Y knew that no thing was betere `to a man, `no but to be glad, and to do good werkis in his lijf.
Update Bible Version
I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good so long as they live.
Webster's Bible Translation
I know that [there is] no good in them, but for [a man] to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
New English Translation
I have concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they live,
New King James Version
I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives,
New Living Translation
So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can.
New Life Bible
I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and to do good as long as they live.
New Revised Standard
I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live;
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
I know that there is no blessedness in them, - save to be glad, and to do well with one's life.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I have known that there was no better thing than to rejoice, and to do well in this life.
Young's Literal Translation
I have known that there is no good for them except to rejoice and to do good during their life,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime;

Contextual Overview

11 He has made everything beautiful in its time; also he has put eternity into man's mind, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; 13 also that it is God's gift to man that every one should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil. 14 I know that whatever God does endures for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has made it so, in order that men should fear before him. 15 That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

but: Ecclesiastes 3:22, Ecclesiastes 9:7-9, Deuteronomy 28:63, Psalms 37:3, Isaiah 64:5, Luke 11:41, Acts 20:35, Philippians 4:4-9, 1 Thessalonians 5:15, 1 Thessalonians 5:16, 1 Timothy 6:18

Reciprocal: Ruth 3:7 - his heart 1 Chronicles 29:22 - eat and drink Proverbs 21:15 - joy Ecclesiastes 2:24 - nothing Ecclesiastes 5:18 - it is good and comely Ecclesiastes 6:9 - Better Ecclesiastes 8:15 - Then I Ecclesiastes 11:8 - rejoice 1 Corinthians 7:31 - use Galatians 6:10 - do good 1 Timothy 2:2 - that 1 Timothy 6:8 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 2:18
Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."
Genesis 2:20
The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper fit for him.
Genesis 2:22
and the rib which the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.
Genesis 3:13
Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent beguiled me, and I ate."
Genesis 3:15
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."
Genesis 3:20
The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.
Genesis 3:21
And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them.
Genesis 3:24
He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
Job 31:33
if I have concealed my transgressions from men, by hiding my iniquity in my bosom,
Proverbs 19:3
When a man's folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the LORD.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I know that [there is] no good in them,.... In these things; as the Arabic version; in the creatures, as Jarchi; in all sublunary enjoyments; in everything the wise man had made a trial of before, as natural Wisdom and knowledge, worldly pleasure, riches, and wealth; the "summun bonum", or happiness of men, did not lie in these things; this he knew by experience, and had the strongest assurance of it: or in them, that is, the children of men, as the Targum: there is no real good thing in them, nor comes out of them, nor is done by them; they cannot think a good thought, nor do a good action, of themselves. Or rather the sense is, I know there is nothing better for them than what follows:

but for [a man] to rejoice; not in sin and sinful pleasures, in a riotous, voluptuous, and epicurean manner; but to be cheerful, and enjoy the blessings of life in a comfortable way, and with a thankful heart; and especially to rejoice in spiritual things, and above all in Christ; and not in any self-boastings or carnal confidences, all such rejoicing is evil; see Ecclesiastes 9:7. The Targum is,

"but that they rejoice in the joy of the law;''

but it is much better to rejoice in the things of the Gospel, which is indeed a joyful sound;

and to do good in his life: to himself and family, by making use of the good things of life, and not withholding and hoarding them up; and to others, to all men, as opportunity offers, and especially to the household of faith; and not only by liberality and alms deeds, but by doing all good works, from right principles and to right ends, and that always, as long as he lives, Galatians 6:9.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In them - i. e., in the sons of men.

To do good - In a moral sense. Physical enjoyment is referred to in Ecclesiastes 3:13.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 3:12. I know that there is no good in them, but, c. — Since God has so disposed the affairs of this world, that the great events of providence cannot be accelerated or retarded by human cares and anxieties, submit to God make a proper use of what he has given: do thyself no harm, and endeavour as much as possible to do others good.

Enjoy, and bless thyself; let others share

The transient blessing: 'tis the gift of God.


 
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