Ecclesiastes 3:12

Bible in Basic English (1941)

I am certain that there is nothing better for a man than to be glad, and to do good while life is in him.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Eccl 3:22 : 22 So I saw that there is nothing better than for a man to have joy in his work--because that is his reward. Who will make him see what will come after him?
  • Ps 37:3 : 3 Have faith in the Lord, and do good; be at rest in the land, and go after righteousness.
  • Deut 28:63 : 63 And as the Lord took delight in doing you good and increasing you, so the Lord will take pleasure in cutting you off and causing your destruction, and you will be uprooted from the land which you are about to take as your heritage.
  • Eccl 9:7-9 : 7 Come, take your bread with joy, and your wine with a glad heart. God has taken pleasure in your works. 8 Let your clothing be white at all times, and let not your head be without oil. 9 Have joy with the woman of your love all the days of your foolish life which he gives you under the sun. Because that is your part in life and in your work which you do under the sun.
  • Isa 64:5 : 5 For we have all become like an unclean person, and all our good acts are like a dirty robe: and we have all become old like a dead leaf, and our sins, like the wind, take us away.
  • Luke 11:41 : 41 But if you give to the poor such things as you are able, then all things are clean to you.
  • Acts 20:35 : 35 In all things I was an example to you of how, in your lives, you are to give help to the feeble, and keep in memory the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, There is a greater blessing in giving than in getting.
  • Phil 4:4-9 : 4 Be glad in the Lord at all times: again I say, Be glad. 5 Let your gentle behaviour be clear to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Have no cares; but in everything with prayer and praise put your requests before God. 7 And the peace of God, which is deeper than all knowledge, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 8 For the rest, my brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things have honour, whatever things are upright, whatever things are holy, whatever things are beautiful, whatever things are of value, if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, give thought to these things. 9 The things which came to you by my teaching and preaching, and which you saw in me, these things do, and the God of peace will be with you.
  • 1 Thess 5:15-16 : 15 Let no one give evil for evil; but ever go after what is good, for one another and for all. 16 Have joy at all times.
  • 1 Tim 6:18 : 18 And to do good, having wealth in good works, being quick to give, taking part with one another;

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Eccl 3:21-22
    2 verses
    87%

    21Who is certain that the spirit of the sons of men goes up to heaven, or that the spirit of the beasts goes down to the earth?

    22So I saw that there is nothing better than for a man to have joy in his work--because that is his reward. Who will make him see what will come after him?

  • Eccl 2:20-26
    7 verses
    86%

    20So my mind was turned to grief for all the trouble I had taken and all my wisdom under the sun.

    21Because there is a man whose work has been done with wisdom, with knowledge, and with an expert hand; but one who has done nothing for it will have it for his heritage. This again is to no purpose and a great evil.

    22What does a man get for all his work, and for the weight of care with which he has done his work under the sun?

    23All his days are sorrow, and his work is full of grief. Even in the night his heart has no rest. This again is to no purpose.

    24There is nothing better for a man than taking meat and drink, and having delight in his work. This again I saw was from the hand of God.

    25Who may take food or have pleasure without him?

    26To the man with whom he is pleased, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of getting goods together and storing up wealth, to give to him in whom God has pleasure. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.

  • Eccl 3:13-14
    2 verses
    83%

    13And for every man to take food and drink, and have joy in all his work, is a reward from God.

    14I am certain that whatever God does will be for ever. No addition may be made to it, nothing may be taken from it; and God has done it so that man may be in fear before him.

  • Eccl 8:14-17
    4 verses
    83%

    14There 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.

    15So I gave praise to joy, because there is nothing better for a man to do under the sun than to take meat and drink and be happy; for that will be with him in his work all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.

    16When 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),

    17Then I saw all the work of God, and that man may not get knowledge of the work which is done under the sun; because, if a man gives hard work to the search he will not get knowledge, and even if the wise man seems to be coming to the end of his search, still he will be without knowledge.

  • Eccl 3:9-11
    3 verses
    81%

    9What profit has the worker in the work which he does?

    10I saw the work which God has put on the sons of man.

    11He has made everything right in its time; but he has made their hearts without knowledge, so that man is unable to see the works of God, from the first to the last.

  • Eccl 5:18-19
    2 verses
    80%

    18Every man to whom God has given money and wealth and the power to have pleasure in it and to do his part and have joy in his work: this is given by God.

    19He will not give much thought to the days of his life; because God lets him be taken up with the joy of his heart.

  • Eccl 6:11-12
    2 verses
    79%

    11There are words without number for increasing what is to no purpose, but what is man profited by them?

    12Who is able to say what is good for man in life all the days of his foolish life which he goes through like a shade? who will say what is to be after him under the sun?

  • Eccl 2:1-3
    3 verses
    78%

    1I said in my heart, I will give you joy for a test; so take your pleasure--but it was to no purpose.

    2Of laughing I said, It is foolish; and of joy--What use is it?

    3I made a search with my heart to give pleasure to my flesh with wine, still guiding my heart with wisdom, and to go after foolish things, so that I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under the heavens all the days of their life.

  • Eccl 2:10-11
    2 verses
    77%

    10And nothing which was desired by my eyes did I keep from them; I did not keep any joy from my heart, because my heart took pleasure in all my work, and this was my reward.

    11Then I saw all the works which my hands had made, and everything I had been working to do; and I saw that all was to no purpose and desire for wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

  • Eccl 9:1
    77%

    1All 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.

  • Eccl 4:3
    77%

    3Yes, happier than the dead or the living seemed he who has not ever been, who has not seen the evil which is done under the sun.

  • Eccl 9:9-10
    2 verses
    76%

    9Have joy with the woman of your love all the days of your foolish life which he gives you under the sun. Because that is your part in life and in your work which you do under the sun.

    10Whatever comes to your hand to do with all your power, do it because there is no work, or thought, or knowledge, or wisdom in the place of the dead to which you are going.

  • Eccl 7:14
    76%

    14In the day of wealth have joy, but in the day of evil take thought: God has put the one against the other, so that man may not be certain what will be after him.

  • Eccl 3:1
    76%

    1For everything there is a fixed time, and a time for every business under the sun.

  • Eccl 2:17
    76%

    17So I was hating life, because everything under the sun was evil to me: all is to no purpose and desire for wind.

  • Eccl 11:8-9
    2 verses
    76%

    8But even if a man's life is long and he has joy in all his years, let him keep in mind the dark days, because they will be great in number. Whatever may come is to no purpose.

    9Have joy, O young man, while you are young; and let your heart be glad in the days of your strength, and go in the ways of your heart, and in the desire of your eyes; but be certain that for all these things God will be your judge.

  • Eccl 3:17-18
    2 verses
    75%

    17I said in my heart, God will be judge of the good and of the bad; because a time for every purpose and for every work has been fixed by him.

    18I said in my heart, It is because of the sons of men, so that God may put them to the test and that they may see themselves as beasts.

  • Eccl 1:3
    75%

    3What is a man profited by all his work which he does under the sun?

  • Eccl 9:3
    75%

    3This is evil in all things which are done under the sun: that there is one fate for all, and the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; while they have life their hearts are foolish, and after that--to the dead.

  • Eccl 1:13-14
    2 verses
    75%

    13And I gave my heart to searching out in wisdom all things which are done under heaven: it is a hard thing which God has put on the sons of men to do.

    14I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.

  • Eccl 4:16
    75%

    16There 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.

  • Eccl 9:7
    75%

    7Come, take your bread with joy, and your wine with a glad heart. God has taken pleasure in your works.

  • Eccl 8:6
    74%

    6For every purpose there is a time and a decision, because the sorrow of man is great in him.

  • Eccl 6:1
    74%

    1There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is hard on men;

  • Job 34:9
    74%

    9For he has said, It is no profit to a man to take delight in God.

  • Eccl 8:9
    74%

    9All 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.

  • Eccl 1:17
    74%

    17And 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.