Verse 1

All this I took to heart, and my heart saw it all: that the upright and the wise and their works are in the hand of God; and men may not be certain if it will be love or hate; all is to no purpose before them.

Referenced Verses

  • Deut 33:3 : 3 All his holy ones are at his hand; they go at his feet; they are lifted up on his wings.
  • Eccl 8:14 : 14 There is a thing which is to no purpose done on the earth: that there are good men to whom is given the same punishment as those who are evil, and there are evil men who get the reward of the good. I say that this again is to no purpose.
  • Job 12:10 : 10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all flesh of man.
  • John 10:27-30 : 27 My sheep give ear to my voice, and I have knowledge of them, and they come after me: 28 And I give them eternal life; they will never come to destruction, and no one will ever take them out of my hand. 29 That which my Father has given to me has more value than all; and no one is able to take anything out of the Father's hand. 30 I and my Father are one.
  • 1 Cor 3:5-9 : 5 What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? They are but servants who gave you the good news as God gave it to them. 6 I did the planting, Apollos did the watering, but God gave the increase. 7 So then the planter is nothing, and the waterer is nothing; but God who gives the increase. 8 Now the planter and the waterer are working for the same end: but they will have their separate rewards in the measure of their work. 9 For we are workers with God: you are God's planting, God's building. 10 In the measure of the grace given to me, I, as a wise master-builder, have put the base in position, and another goes on building on it. But let every man take care what he puts on it. 11 For there is no other base for the building but that which has been put down, which is Jesus Christ. 12 But on the base a man may put gold, silver, stones of great price, wood, dry grass, cut stems; 13 Every man's work will be made clear in that day, because it will be tested by fire; and the fire itself will make clear the quality of every man's work. 14 If any man's work comes through the test, he will have a reward. 15 If the fire puts an end to any man's work, it will be his loss: but he will get salvation himself, though as by fire.
  • 2 Tim 1:12 : 12 And for which I undergo these things: but I have no feeling of shame. For I have knowledge of him in whom I have faith, and I am certain that he is able to keep that which I have given into his care till that day.
  • 1 Pet 1:5 : 5 Who, by the power of God are kept, through faith, for that salvation, which will be seen at the last day.
  • 1 Sam 2:9 : 9 He will keep the feet of his holy ones, but the evil-doers will come to their end in the dark night, for by strength no man will overcome.
  • 2 Sam 15:25-26 : 25 And the king said to Zadok, Take the ark of God back into the town: if I have grace in the eyes of the Lord, he will let me come back and see it and his House again: 26 But if he says, I have no delight in you: then, here I am; let him do to me what seems good to him.
  • Job 5:8 : 8 But as for me, I would make my prayer to God, and I would put my cause before him:
  • Ps 10:14 : 14 You have seen it; for your eyes are on sorrow and grief, to take it into your hand: the poor man puts his faith in you; you have been the helper of the child who has no father.
  • Ps 31:5 : 5 Into your hands I give my spirit; you are my saviour, O Lord God for ever true.
  • Ps 37:5-6 : 5 Put your life in the hands of the Lord; have faith in him and he will do it. 6 And he will make your righteousness be seen like the light, and your cause like the shining of the sun.
  • Ps 73:3 : 3 Because of my envy of the men of pride, when I saw the well-being of the wrongdoers.
  • Ps 73:11-13 : 11 And they say, How will the Lord see this? is there knowledge in the Most High? 12 Truly, such are the sinners; they do well at all times, and their wealth is increased. 13 As for me, I have made my heart clean to no purpose, washing my hands in righteousness;
  • Prov 16:3 : 3 Put your works into the hands of the Lord, and your purposes will be made certain.
  • Eccl 1:17 : 17 And I gave my heart to getting knowledge of wisdom, and of the ways of the foolish. And I saw that this again was desire for wind.
  • Eccl 7:15 : 15 These two have I seen in my life which is to no purpose: a good man coming to his end in his righteousness, and an evil man whose days are long in his evil-doing.
  • Eccl 7:25 : 25 I gave my mind to knowledge and to searching for wisdom and the reason of things, and to the discovery that sin is foolish, and that to be foolish is to be without one's senses.
  • Eccl 8:16 : 16 When I gave my mind to the knowledge of wisdom and to seeing the business which is done on the earth (and there are those whose eyes see not sleep by day or by night),
  • Eccl 10:14 : 14 The foolish are full of words; man has no knowledge of what will be; and who is able to say what will be after him?
  • Eccl 12:9-9 : 9 And because the Preacher was wise he still gave the people knowledge; searching out, testing, and putting in order a great number of wise sayings. 10 The Preacher made search for words which were pleasing, but his writing was in words upright and true.
  • Isa 26:12 : 12 Lord, you will give us peace: for all our works are the outcome of your purpose.
  • Isa 49:1-4 : 1 Give ear, O sea-lands, to me; and take note, you peoples from far: I have been marked out by the Lord from the first; when I was still in my mother's body, he had my name in mind: 2 And he has made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shade of his hand he has kept me; and he has made me like a polished arrow, keeping me in his secret place; 3 And he said to me, You are my servant, Israel, in whom my glory will be seen; 4 And I said, I have undergone weariness for nothing, I have given my strength for no purpose or profit: but still the Lord will take up my cause, and my God will give me my reward.
  • Jer 1:18-19 : 18 For see, this day have I made you a walled town, and an iron pillar, and walls of brass, against all the land, against the kings of Judah, against its captains, against its priests, and against the people of the land. 19 They will be fighting against you, but they will not overcome you: for I am with you, says the Lord, to give you salvation.
  • Mal 3:15-18 : 15 And now to us the men of pride seem happy; yes, the evil-doers are doing well; they put God to the test and are safe. 16 Then those in whom was the fear of the Lord had talk together: and the Lord gave ear, and it was recorded in a book to be kept in mind before him, for those who had the fear of the Lord and gave thought to his name. 17 And they will be mine, says the Lord, in the day when I make them my special property; and I will have mercy on them as a man has mercy on his son who is his servant. 18 Then you will again see how the upright man is different from the sinner, and the servant of God from him who is not.