Ecclesiastes 4:16
What does Ecclesiastes 4:16 mean?
A plain-English look at Ecclesiastes 4:16 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000There 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.
KJV
King James Version · 1611There 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.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901There 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.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949There 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.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862there 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.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752The 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.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890[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.
Context
v.15I saw all the living that walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the second, that stood up in his stead.
v.16This passage
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- 1 Kings 12:10
And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou say unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou speak unto them, My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins.
- 2 Samuel 18:7
And the people of Israel were smitten there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men.
- 2 Samuel 19:9
And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and he saved us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land from Absalom.
- Ecclesiastes 2:11
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
- Judges 9:19
if ye then have dealt truly and uprightly with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:
- Ecclesiastes 2:17
So I hated life, because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.
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