Ecclesiastes 8:9

What does Ecclesiastes 8:9 mean?

A plain-English look at Ecclesiastes 8:9 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man hath power over another to his hurt.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man hath power over another to his hurt.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

All this have I seen, and have given my heart to all the work which is done under the sun: there is a time when man has power over man for his destruction.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

All this I have seen so as to give my heart to every work that hath been done under the sun; a time that man hath ruled over man to his own evil.

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

All these things I have considered, and applied my heart to all the works that are done under the sun. Sometimes one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time when man ruleth man to his hurt.

Context

v.8There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in war: neither shall wickedness deliver him that is given to it.

v.9This passage

v.10So I saw the wicked buried, and they came to the grave; and they that had done right went away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city: this also is vanity.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Exodus 14:28

    And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, even all the host of Pharaoh that went in after them into the sea; there remained not so much as one of them.

  • Ecclesiastes 3:10

    I have seen the travail which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.

  • Ecclesiastes 5:13

    There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt:

  • Ecclesiastes 7:25

    I turned about, and my heart was set to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the reason of things, and to know that wickedness is folly, and that foolishness is madness.

  • Ecclesiastes 5:8

    If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter: for one higher than the high regardeth; and there are higher than they.

  • 2 Kings 25:7

    And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon.

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