Ecclesiastes 4:3

Bible in Basic English (1941)

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.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Luke 23:29 : 29 For the days are coming in which they will say, Happy are those who have had no children, whose bodies have never given birth, whose breasts have never given milk.
  • Job 3:10-16 : 10 Because it did not keep the doors of my mother's body shut, so that trouble might be veiled from my eyes. 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.
  • Job 3:22 : 22 Who are glad with great joy, and full of delight when they come to their last resting-place;
  • Job 10:18-19 : 18 Why then did you make me come out of my mother's body? It would have been better for me to have taken my last breath, and for no eye to have seen me, 19 And for me to have been as if I had not been; to have been taken from my mother's body straight to my last resting-place.
  • Ps 55:6-9 : 6 And I said, If only I had wings like a dove! for then I would go in flight from here and be at rest. 7 I would go wandering far away, living in the waste land. (Selah.) 8 I would quickly take cover from the driving storm and from the violent wind. 9 Send destruction on them, O Lord, make a division of tongues among them: for I have seen fighting and violent acts in the town. 10 By day and night they go round the town, on the walls; trouble and sorrow are in the heart of it. 11 Evil is there; cruel rule and deceit are ever in the streets.
  • Eccl 1:14 : 14 I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.
  • 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 6:3-5 : 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. 4 In wind it came and to the dark it will go, and with the dark will its name be covered. 5 Yes, it saw not the sun, and it had no knowledge; it is better with this than with the other.
  • Jer 9:2-3 : 2 If only I had in the waste land a night's resting-place for travellers, so that I might go away, far from my people! for they are all untrue, a band of false men. 3 Their tongues are bent like a bow to send out false words: they have become strong in the land, but not for good faith: they go on from evil to evil, and they have no knowledge of me, says the Lord.
  • Jer 20:17-18 : 17 Because he did not put me to death before my birth took place: so my mother's body would have been my last resting-place, and she would have been with child for ever. 18 Why did I come from my mother's body to see pain and sorrow, so that my days might be wasted with shame?
  • Matt 24:19 : 19 But it will be hard for women who are with child and for those with babies at the breast in those days.

Similar Verses (AI)

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

  • Eccl 4:2
    83%

    2 So my praise was for the dead who have gone to their death, more than for the living who still have life.

  • Eccl 3:22
    79%

    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?

  • Eccl 4:4
    78%

    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 6:5-6
    2 verses
    78%

    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 4:15-16
    2 verses
    77%

    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.

  • Eccl 3:12
    77%

    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.

  • Eccl 6:8-12
    5 verses
    77%

    8 What have the wise more than the foolish? and what has the poor man by walking wisely before the living?

    9 What the eyes see is better than the wandering of desire. This is to no purpose and a desire for wind.

    10 That which is, has been named before, and of what man is there is knowledge. He has no power against one stronger than he.

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

    12 Who 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 6:3
    77%

    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.

  • Eccl 1:3
    76%

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

  • Eccl 2:24-25
    2 verses
    76%

    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?

  • Eccl 2:21-22
    2 verses
    76%

    21 Because 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.

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

  • Eccl 4:6-9
    4 verses
    75%

    6 One hand full of rest is better than two hands full of trouble and desire for wind.

    7 Then I came back, and I saw an example of what is to no purpose under the sun.

    8 It is one who is by himself, without a second, and without son or brother; but there is no end to all his work, and he has never enough of wealth. For whom, then, am I working and keeping myself from pleasure? This again is to no purpose, and a bitter work.

    9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their work.

  • Eccl 1:9-10
    2 verses
    75%

    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.

  • Eccl 2:11-13
    3 verses
    75%

    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.

    13 Then I saw that wisdom is better than foolish ways--as the light is better than the dark.

  • Eccl 2:16-19
    4 verses
    75%

    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.

    19 And who is to say if that man will be wise or foolish? But he will have power over all my work which I have done and in which I have been wise under the sun. This again is to no purpose.

  • Eccl 1:14
    75%

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

  • Eccl 7:2
    75%

    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.

  • Eccl 3:15
    74%

    15 Whatever is has been before, and what is to be is now; because God makes search for the things which are past.

  • Eccl 9:3-4
    2 verses
    74%

    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.

  • Eccl 8:17
    74%

    17 Then 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 8:9-10
    2 verses
    74%

    9 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.

    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.

  • Eccl 6:1
    74%

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

  • Eccl 11:8
    74%

    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 3:9-10
    2 verses
    74%

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

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

  • Eccl 7:14-15
    2 verses
    73%

    14 In 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.

    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 8:14-15
    2 verses
    73%

    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.

  • Eccl 4:13
    73%

    13 A young man who is poor and wise is better than a king who is old and foolish and will not be guided by the wisdom of others.

  • Eccl 9:13
    73%

    13 This again I have seen under the sun as wisdom and it seemed great to me.