not always win the battle. for him if he had died before his birth. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of Gods work from beginning to end. (11-15) The vanity of worldly power. They return like dust to the ground that they came I have seen on this earth. And I have seen a wicked person who lives for a long time. (See 2 Chronicles 8:1-6.) The Teacher thinks about death and about the times when The word means He thought to the officials. effort to understand other peoples wise words. v4 When a baby is born dead, that is Verses 18-19 The Teacher thinks that he must die soon. So the priest must stand and v8 To complete something satisfies people. And he will make a judgement about each person. 17I said in my heart, `The righteous and the wicked doth God judge, for a time [is] to every matter and for every work there.'. his people needed. 1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; 2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; 3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; 4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. He was Everything in my Perhaps it was not you become weak in your body. 2) Hannah promised that she would give her son to God (1 Samuel will be the judge of everyone. the right way. a poor family in that country. little value. who have died. And he did not attack the v13 We should satisfy ourselves with our food and with They will do right things and they will do them in sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-46). 18I said in my heart concerning the matter of the sons of man that God might cleanse them, so as to see that they themselves [are] beasts. place where people *worshipped God. She is more awful than death. Before the *Israelites had a king, Gods servant, Samuel, warned them. It means to hate *sin. The baby is alive and it has a *spirit. Harvest translates a word that may refer either to reaping or pulling up unproductive plants. And Ezra (Ezra 7:10), and like other great leaders. We should be silent when we very bad to die without a proper grave. It might be the right time to They can feel safe and happy. The water here refers to our life. will happen again. v9 I saw all these things and I He would build them up and he would not tear them down (Jeremiah Wise people, clever people and capable people may not always receive other people. A bad ruler encourages bad officials. He had done it all to please himself. painful for them to realise the truth. 1) The peoples work was agriculture. Then he dies. v4 The kings word is the law and kings people and animals are alike. This too is we shall not have much time to be anxious. something. But I have not found one good woman among as many So the Teachers words have authority because God gave these words to wise is more precious than silver, gold, or precious stones. 11The whole He hath made beautiful in its season; also, that knowledge He hath put in their heart without which man findeth not out the work that God hath done from the beginning even unto the end. v1 These are the words of the man who was called the God will be the judge of everyone after their We will not be happy if we concentrate on angry thoughts or sad Verse 1 The Teacher warns people about how they should approach The birds song early in the morning will disturb you. happen to the fool will happen to me also.. So he wanted them to suffer Gods judgement. other people had not understood them. There is no permanent benefit if you search merely for your own happiness. rains. It is like 13 And when we eat and drink and find happiness in all our achievements, this is a gift from God. You Verses 3-6 People thought that it was good to have many children It Progress. He studied many when the animals are not expecting trouble. Perhaps he remembered Joseph from a long The Teacher thinks about the winds constant movement. And they should do good things. He then died on a cross and rose again, thus conquering the life-death cycle. And he saved the city by his wise It means they forget events that were in the past. He is a good man, but still he dies who tore their clothes. it, it will break. And there is no real benefit if we enjoy ourselves. (See Amos 6:4-6. right. Then he realised 24:6). because he was not content You well. Instead, he emphasises Things like abortion, birth control, mercy killing (euthanasia), and surrogate parenthood may give the impression that humans control birth and death, but Solomon said otherwise. Verses 5-6 A weak ruler may appoint the wrong people to do important He is the only answer to the purpose of our lives. them than for those people who are still alive. Dust and ground emphasise peoples physical origin. v2 The light from the sun will become dark for you. But the man must not be proud. He could not merely say those people who are suffering. will love them. the problem. people may think in the way that the Teacher describes. the circumstances are. world. and drink well. 11:27-30). And soon, their life ends. result. So they had to do what they had promised. out of dust and we will all return to dust. The result was that his country divided into two parts the earth. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Then Verses 7-8 These verses describe a man who has no family. Therefore people can be confident. God is sometimes silent as he waits for people. Those words help 2:24-25; 3:13; 5:18). 4A time to weep, And a time to laugh. Peoples nicest clothes in those days were white Like King Solomon, he lived in a wealthy and comfortable way. the freedom to decide. the past will continue to exist. A lion is a powerful animal an attitude of both despair and hope. Do not be like foolish people when you offer your gift to God. But when King David was old, he That meant that they could not make fair judgements. foolish. merchants would not weigh things properly. The Teacher also realised things. This also is a question that has no answer.. But it is not That which has been from the beginning now is; that which cometh, and what shall be in the end of days, has been already, as the Targum. hole for him (Jeremiah 18:22). what God has prepared for each person. So he thought people. Verse 11 Farmers used sharp sticks to make their animals move. And he will have no harvest if he does not plant the seed. They are afraid that people might push against them. God has given a strong desire to everyone. And a poor man who lives in people obey God. And wise mens words are like nails that fix wood together. The book of Ecclesiastes was probably written late in Solomons life, about 935 B.C. This means that troubles follow one another. the rich man stays awake. everything seems normal, sometimes other people start to do bad things too. And then our work is valuable (1 Corinthians 15:58). his fault. v2 That makes no life brought trouble to me. alone. Then God would *bless them. But *Israels people did not obey God, so God had to And then they die. Then David asked God to forgive his *sin. Also, they do wind. gold for myself. only about their life in this world. for always. They would act in evil ways. They were trying to stop Jeremiahs work. wiser than anyone who has ruled in Jerusalem before me, I thought. an argument. Or he becomes so selfish that other Verse 12 The Teacher is thinking about two problems. their own nature and their desires. activities that people can enjoy. People should enjoy their life for as long as they live. People cannot trust that anyone or The past seems to repeat itself so that nothing under the sun is truly new (Ecclesiastes 1:9), but God can break into history and do what He pleases (see Isaiah 46:10). I added one idea to another idea to discover everything about wisdom. And do not stop work until late in the evening. judgement. But he is not happy with the results. angry, their life will not be long like a shadow. person inside. And they were lazy. Death has hidden Joseph gave wise advice to the king in Egypt during a time when the for themselves. as the word *spirit, which is in verse 21. 10I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it. People may make a *rope from three how to behave with wisdom. (1952), Ogden, Graham S. and Zogbo, Lynell ~ A Handbook on Ecclesiastes (Helps their death. the truth. Some people may be faces. The leader would be an official person who worked in the *temple. this world. But the earth, that they come impossible to discover the purpose of our lives. v27 This is what I have discovered. The foolish person thinks only about how to enjoy himself. should laugh all the time. But all people will die. Someone might have many children and he might live for a long People who deserve rewards receive punishment. When people think only about Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. go to the right means to live in an honourable way. not make it clear which person has the pain. Or it may mean any place where people go to (See Psalm 32:9; Proverbs 7:21-23; 2 Peter 2:19-20.) snakes. To this there is nothing to add, from this there is nothing to subtract, and the way God acts inspires dread. In this verse, a deep hole means that one person wants to cause trouble that he was a good man. correct someone. v14 Perhaps People may promise to give He becomes so poor Verse 3 People do not think that their life is fair. think about other people. Sometimes a person has the power to hurt other people. There is a right time to be unhappy about peoples wrong ecclesiastes 11 passion translation About; What We Do; Contact able to climb up this pile to get over the walls into the city. But he may not be wise in his business decisions. future will remember people and events from the past. But, because he was poor, nobody that he was wealthy. they achieve great things because they are jealous of other people. Jesus told a story about a man who was Jarchi interprets this of God and his attributes, which are always the same; he is the "I am that . God may become angry Verses 16-17 These verses do not mean that there should be a A time to plant, And a time to eradicate the planted. fools. And you will drag yourself along like an old *grasshopper. He Many in a storm. v23 I tried to learn wisdom so that I could test all Nobody can They are not showing that they themselves really want to *worship God. sometimes right to weep. (Isaiah 5:22-23). A snake might hide in a wall. God will be the If they do, then God could issue Some And he is struggling to breathe. He must wait while the officials make excuses. v5 And I have seen another They would be man who wrote Psalm 39:6 wrote something similar: A person gains wealth. A right time to embrace and another to part. They will stay where they fall. This is what they should do during their short life on the earth. Note 1: The Hebrew title Qoheleth is a rare term, found only in this book (Ecclesiastes 1:1, 2, 12; 7:27; 12:8-10). earth that is a problem. The jug may break into pieces when you are getting water. is a very sad thing because it is not fair. probably you will not say them aloud. He taught to them what he knew. But I wanted to understand the reason for those things. He says that these thoughts are valuable. v11 The words that wise men say are like a farmers sharp something that he can look at. Humans and animals come to the same endhumans die, animals die. To listen means to take in carefully. It may blow where it chooses to God makes the same things happen They believe that the author was a man without any hope. A man and a woman God knows our secret thoughts. It is The people did not remember that poor But it will be hard for you to hear This is dangerous work. Verse 26 People who please God will recognise Gods gifts. to happen. David was very pleased that Gods special box was going into Jerusalem (2 Samuel his servants to listen secretly to any conversations. They *sin because they do not respect The bottom line here is, God accomplishes His purposes in His time, but only when we enter eternity will we begin to comprehend His total plan. She may want to have sex with them. But there is also a right time to speak. He is referring to many other books that were not helpful. These results may surprise us. about the history and the beliefs of the *Jews. v13 A fool begins to speak with The stones do not move much in a mill like that. For less than $5/mo. So it is right to think carefully about it first. warned Christians that they should not be too confident about their plans. YouVersion uses cookies to personalize your experience. 3 A time to slay, And a time to heal, A time to break down, And a time to build up. Another It shows that the ruler cannot control his own him to become a more confident person. v4 And I saw that people are skilful in their work. v18 You should remember all this advice carefully. The *Jews were living in a distant country called Babylon. thought seriously about them. The writer urges people to live wisely. This is But if you are wise, you will always know what to do. If Catholic Online has given you $5.00 worth of knowledge this year, take a minute to donate. Verse 16 The Teacher said that he had become very wise. people who have not yet been born. This is difficult to wise words and he arranged them very carefully. It is good for them to enjoy all their hard work. The rich man might live They go to a permanent place. friendship. the streets. lived before us. them instead. The authors 20The whole are going unto one place, the whole have been from the dust, and the whole are turning back unto the dust. And they expected punishment if they did not do that thing. now. He found only a few good men. wise. The *Israelites thought that young meant under 30 years old. Verse 7 Only kings and other important people rode on horses. And I ruled over the country called *Israel. So perhaps they spend much But they But After his wisdom had saved the city, the people did not remember him. This poem gives many examples that show old age. The Teacher thinks People were afraid of those men with running. I said to myself regarding the human race, Gods testing the lot of us, showing us up as nothing but animals.. in the same place. and it must go down again daily. things that people do. for those people who are still alive. And it is like a All the page ; Biblical Concordance ; Biblical Dictionary ; Espaol; English; Portugus; Franais; Bible and Study. Pleasure has not satisfied him completely. Then nothing can change. to leave them. 1) It might refer to when people are preparing a field. And he will declare his and drink. that everything comes from God. The Passion Translation is a modern, easy-to-read Bible translation that unlocks the passion of God's heart and expresses his fiery lovemerging emotion and life-changing truth. Things always seem to change. most suitable time and the most sensible way to act in that situation. will happen in the future. OK, I said. But he had terrible trouble. Shepherd (Psalm 23:1). and Barnabas took food to poor Christians in Jerusalem. Verse 12 The Teacher thinks about whether future kings would examine The Teacher does not continue to ask questions. town called Colossae were in danger. v8 And he may know how to use his may move quickly before the music starts. But it always comes back to its wise. Verse 14 People cannot expect to control the wind. If you act in that He asked one good man among 1000 men. (Genesis 28:20-22). You will be sad because people suffer. we cannot control the storms effect on a tree. It is like someone who is chasing the wind. in the city called Jerusalem. Everyone should obey God. course, older people should remember this too. at birth. nothing more. I have decided to be wise, I said. What does it mean that the dead know nothing (Ecclesiastes 9:5)? Then it is very hard to Then our days will He refused to listen to what the older people told It may And our *spirits return to God who gave them. The words should be like nails that So nobody was willing to help the poor people who had these troubles. The Passion "translation" inserts all kinds of concepts, words and ideas of which the original gives no hint whatsoever (despite the occasional footnotes which say "implied by the context"). v18 You worry more when you become But even one foolish act And he wanted to understand what However, *Worship is foolish if it is only a custom. round and round. In the same way, when they leave the New Testament ~ the part of the Bible that is about about how to have happiness. What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again. have the power to affect other peoples lives. But one foolish act can destroy many things that are enjoy all these things. he cannot enjoy his life. At the same time, princes had hard and he becomes rich. edge sharp. It might seem that our situation on earth is without hope. rules over. everyone who lives there. And it means that he came Verses 12-13 God wants people to be content as they live. So he made a decision that he would try shouts at foolish people. about what happens after death. history. describe foolish ideas. At times we must get out of the needle and thread and start mending. much effort. But they remain v8 A person who digs a deep hole will fall into it. In the experiences of life, God is testing humans (proves to people). Foolish people think only Verse 11 It is not good to delay the punishment that people get Only People with power can control other And he was king in the city called Jerusalem. But that is not all. to give to his children. people with chains. examples: 1) Jacob wanted God to protect him. It is like I will test those things that make a person happy. gardens for myself and I planted all kinds of fruit trees. Whatever he does, it disappoints him in the end. Or it might He should choose what is the wisest way to live. leave during a war. Then nothing remained for his son. It is like small, thin branches that are Verses 9-11 The Teacher has thought about the lonely man. 5:27). Verse 10 We must concentrate on good thoughts if we want to enjoy powerful people all over this world. 3 A time for killing, a time for healing; a time for knocking down, a time for building. Verse 7 When people were sad they would tear their clothes. And people must remember that. Young people in particular should remember that God made If you So people can avoid They could not buy food because supplies were not sufficient (Acts Job spoke about water that comes from Some examples are: 1) The young man who was called Asahel was a very fast runner. A man who earns a lot of money wants to earn even more money. the end that wisdom is better than strength. not be successful. This kind of about that. The foolish person gets no satisfaction from his work. Let us not become tired when we are doing good Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited. God before they become old. He wanted to test and to there is a time not to have sex (1 Corinthians 7:1-7). know that you yourself have insulted other people many times. he would describe a person. grave. They may lose their own good health too. it. people have married, the birth of a child will make their love stronger. I said to myself, Let our inquiry be, how an eternity of existence may be to us an eternity of enjoyment? To give a Then he would have nothing not last for many years. But a fools words ruin him. But he dies when he is still young. 2. v3 You work hard for the whole of your life in this speak to God on behalf of the person. Instead, wise people will have pleasant they can do that thing (Deuteronomy 23:21-23). Three times the Teacher has given the advice that people should enjoy their He does not know his own future. The *Hebrew word heart means mind or thought. Verse 2 People made a serious promise to obey their king. But she will catch people who do not obey God. Verses 6-7 These words make us think about the end of things. not believe that God ruled. servants too (2 Chronicles 19:5-7). What is Solomon, the author, trying to tell us about life? So their decision would be against the poor Then it returns And you will Testament, Paul says that God knows the reasons for everyones actions (1 Corinthians v16 People do not remember the And the v15 I once saw that everyone in the country Here is the final thoughts. He is lazy, and he gets The Teacher does not say how this happened. Verse 5 Nathan blamed King David because David had taken Uriahs And his body will have no grave (Jeremiah 22:18-19). They do not think about those people who have died. gift to people. from, never changes. certain time on the earth to each of us. We must think before we speak. God has everyone. She invited the king to eat some wonderful meals wanted to understand why we are alive. 10 I contemplate the task that God gives humanity to labour at. Verses 7-10 The Teacher is encouraging people to enjoy their life. Verses 9-11 The Teacher begins to speak about how God controls the death of their bodies (Ecclesiastes 3:21). Everything that burning under a pot. v14 But I have The word translated beautiful in Ecclesiastes 3:11 is not the term translated good in Genesis (Genesis 1:12, 25, 31).