Ecclesiastes 4:2
So my praise was for the dead who have gone to their death, more than for the living who still have life.
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Referenced Verses
- Eccl 2:17 : 17 So I was hating life, because everything under the sun was evil to me: all is to no purpose and desire for wind.
- Eccl 9:4-6 : 4 For him who is joined to all the living there is hope; a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5 The living are conscious that death will come to them, but the dead are not conscious of anything, and they no longer have a reward, because there is no memory of them. 6 Their love and their hate and their envy are now ended; and they have no longer a part for ever in anything which is done under the sun.
- Job 3:11-26 : 11 Why did death not take me when I came out of my mother's body, why did I not, when I came out, give up my last breath? 12 Why did the knees take me, or why the breasts that they might give me milk? 13 For then I might have gone to my rest in quiet, and in sleep have been in peace, 14 With kings and the wise ones of the earth, who put up great houses for themselves; 15 Or with rulers who had gold, and whose houses were full of silver; 16 Or as a child dead at birth I might never have come into existence; like young children who have not seen the light. 17 There the passions of the evil are over, and those whose strength has come to an end have rest. 18 There the prisoners are at peace together; the voice of the overseer comes not again to their ears. 19 The small and the great are there, and the servant is free from his master. 20 Why does he give light to him who is in trouble, and life to the bitter in soul; 21 To those whose desire is for death, but it comes not; who are searching for it more than for secret wealth; 22 Who are glad with great joy, and full of delight when they come to their last resting-place; 23 To a man whose way is veiled, and who is shut in by God? 24 In place of my food I have grief, and cries of sorrow come from me like water. 25 For I have a fear and it comes on me, and my heart is greatly troubled. 26 I have no peace, no quiet, and no rest; nothing but pain comes on me.
Similar Verses (AI)
These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.
- Eccl 4:3-42 verses83%
3 Yes, 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.
4 And I saw that the cause of all the work and of everything which is done well was man's envy of his neighbour. This again is to no purpose and a desire for wind.
- Eccl 9:3-64 verses77%
3 This 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.
4 For him who is joined to all the living there is hope; a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5 The living are conscious that death will come to them, but the dead are not conscious of anything, and they no longer have a reward, because there is no memory of them.
6 Their love and their hate and their envy are now ended; and they have no longer a part for ever in anything which is done under the sun.
- Eccl 4:15-162 verses75%
15 I saw all the living under the sun round the young man who was to be ruler in place of the king.
16 There 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.
- 75%
17 The dead do not give praise to the Lord; or those who go down to the underworld.
- Eccl 2:15-184 verses75%
15 Then said I in my heart: As it comes to the foolish man, so will it come to me; so why have I been wise overmuch? Then I said in my heart: This again is to no purpose.
16 Of the wise man, as of the foolish man, there is no memory for ever, seeing that those who now are will have gone from memory in the days to come. See how death comes to the wise as to the foolish!
17 So I was hating life, because everything under the sun was evil to me: all is to no purpose and desire for wind.
18 Hate had I for all my work which I had done, because the man who comes after me will have its fruits.
- 74%
10 And then I saw evil men put to rest, taken even from the holy place; and they went about and were praised in the town because of what they had done. This again is to no purpose.
- 73%
1 And again I saw all the cruel things which are done under the sun; there was the weeping of those who have evil done to them, and they had no comforter: and from the hands of the evil-doers there went out power, but they had no comforter.
- 73%
2 It is better to go to the house of weeping, than to go to the house of feasting; because that is the end of every man, and the living will take it to their hearts.
- Job 3:21-222 verses72%
21 To those whose desire is for death, but it comes not; who are searching for it more than for secret wealth;
22 Who are glad with great joy, and full of delight when they come to their last resting-place;
- 72%
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?
- Isa 38:18-192 verses71%
18 For the underworld is not able to give you praise, death gives you no honour: for those who go down into the underworld there is no hope in your mercy.
19 The living, the living man, he will give you praise, as I do this day: the father will give the story of your mercy to his children.
- 71%
7 Then I came back, and I saw an example of what is to no purpose under the sun.
- Eccl 2:11-122 verses71%
11 Then 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.
12 And I went again in search of wisdom and of foolish ways. What may the man do who comes after the king? The thing which he has done before.
- 71%
18 Though he might have pride in his soul in his life-time, and men will give you praise if you do well for yourself,
- Eccl 6:5-62 verses71%
5 Yes, it saw not the sun, and it had no knowledge; it is better with this than with the other.
6 And though he goes on living a thousand years twice over and does not see good, are not the two going to the same place?
- Eccl 2:24-252 verses71%
24 There 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.
25 Who may take food or have pleasure without him?
- 71%
15 Whatever is has been before, and what is to be is now; because God makes search for the things which are past.
- 71%
8 But 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.
- Eccl 8:14-152 verses70%
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.
15 So 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.
- 70%
5 For in death there is no memory of you; in the underworld who will give you praise?
- 70%
12 I am certain that there is nothing better for a man than to be glad, and to do good while life is in him.
- 70%
8 What have the wise more than the foolish? and what has the poor man by walking wisely before the living?
- Eccl 1:9-113 verses70%
9 That which has been, is that which is to be, and that which has been done, is that which will be done, and there is no new thing under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which men say, See, this is new? It has been in the old time which was before us.
11 There is no memory of those who have gone before, and of those who come after there will be no memory for those who are still to come after them.
- 70%
20 So my mind was turned to grief for all the trouble I had taken and all my wisdom under the sun.
- 70%
6 For this was the reason why the good news of Jesus was given even to the dead, so that they might be judged as men in the flesh, but might be living before God in the spirit.
- 70%
2 All is to no purpose, said the Preacher, all the ways of man are to no purpose.
- 70%
10 Whatever 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.
- 70%
8 All things are to no purpose, says the Preacher, all is to no purpose.
- 69%
3 If a man has a hundred children, and his life is long so that the days of his years are great in number, but his soul takes no pleasure in good, and he is not honoured at his death; I say that a birth before its time is better than he.
- 69%
6 He has kept me in dark places, like those who have been long dead.
- 69%
2 While I have breath I will give praise to the Lord: I will make melody to my God while I have my being.
- 69%
11 There are words without number for increasing what is to no purpose, but what is man profited by them?
- 69%
14 I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.
- 69%
19 Because the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts is the same. As is the death of one so is the death of the other, and all have one spirit. Man is not higher than the beasts; because all is to no purpose.