Ecclesiastes 8:14

Bible in Basic English (1941)

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.

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Referenced Verses

  • 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 2:14 : 14 The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the foolish man goes walking in the dark; but still I saw that the same event comes to them all.
  • Mal 3:15 : 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.
  • Eccl 9:1-3 : 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. 2 Because to all there is one event, to the upright man and to the evil, to the clean and to the unclean, to him who makes an offering and to him who makes no offering; as is the good so is the sinner; he who takes an oath is as he who has fear of it. 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.
  • Job 21:7 : 7 Why is life given to the evil-doers? why do they become old and strong in power?
  • Ps 73:3 : 3 Because of my envy of the men of pride, when I saw the well-being of the wrongdoers.
  • Ps 73:12-14 : 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; 14 For I have been troubled all the day; every morning have I undergone punishment.
  • Job 21:17-34 : 17 How frequently is the light of the evil-doers put out, or does trouble come on them? how frequently does his wrath take them with cords? 18 How frequently are they as dry stems before the wind, or as grass taken away by the storm-wind? 19 You say, God keeps punishment stored up for his children. Let him send it on the man himself, so that he may have the punishment of it! 20 Let his eyes see his trouble, and let him be full of the wrath of the Ruler of all! 21 For what interest has he in his house after him, when the number of his months is ended? 22 Is anyone able to give teaching to God? for he is the judge of those who are on high. 23 One comes to his end in complete well-being, full of peace and quiet: 24 His buckets are full of milk, and there is no loss of strength in his bones. 25 And another comes to his end with a bitter soul, without ever tasting good. 26 Together they go down to the dust, and are covered by the worm. 27 See, I am conscious of your thoughts, and of your violent purposes against me; 28 For you say, Where is the house of the ruler, and where is the tent of the evil-doer? 29 Have you not put the question to the travellers, and do you not take note of their experience? 30 How the evil man goes free in the day of trouble, and has salvation in the day of wrath? 31 Who will make his way clear to his face? and if he has done a thing, who gives him punishment for it? 32 He is taken to his last resting-place, and keeps watch over it. 33 The earth of the valley covering his bones is sweet to him, and all men come after him, as there were unnumbered before him. 34 Why then do you give me comfort with words in which there is no profit, when you see that there is nothing in your answers but deceit?
  • Job 24:21-25 : 21 He is not kind to the widow, and he has no pity for her child. 22 But God by his power gives long life to the strong; he gets up again, though he has no hope of life. 23 He takes away his fear of danger and gives him support; and his eyes are on his ways. 24 For a short time they are lifted up; then they are gone; they are made low, they are pulled off like fruit, and like the heads of grain they are cut off. 25 And if it is not so, now, who will make it clear that my words are false, and that what I say is of no value?
  • Eccl 10:5 : 5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, like an error which comes by chance from a ruler:
  • Jer 12:1 : 1 You are in the right, O Lord, when I put my cause before you: still let me take up with you the question of your decisions: why does the evil-doer do well? why are the workers of deceit living in comfort?
  • Job 9:22-24 : 22 It is all the same to me; so I say, He puts an end to the sinner and to him who has done no wrong together. 23 If death comes suddenly through disease, he makes sport of the fate of those who have done no wrong. 24 The land is given into the power of the evil-doer; the faces of its judges are covered; if not by him, then who has done it?
  • Eccl 4:4 : 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 4:8 : 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.

Similar Verses (AI)

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

  • Eccl 8:9-11
    3 verses
    83%

    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.

    11 Because punishment for an evil work comes not quickly, the minds of the sons of men are fully given to doing evil.

  • Eccl 7:13-15
    3 verses
    83%

    13 Give thought to the work of God. Who will make straight what he has made bent?

    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 3:16-19
    4 verses
    81%

    16 And again, I saw under the sun, in the place of the judges, that evil was there; and in the place of righteousness, that evil was there.

    17 I 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.

    18 I 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.

    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.

  • Eccl 9:1-3
    3 verses
    79%

    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.

    2 Because to all there is one event, to the upright man and to the evil, to the clean and to the unclean, to him who makes an offering and to him who makes no offering; as is the good so is the sinner; he who takes an oath is as he who has fear of it.

    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.

  • Eccl 2:19-24
    6 verses
    79%

    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.

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

    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?

    23 All 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.

    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.

  • Eccl 4:3-4
    2 verses
    79%

    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 2:26
    79%

    26 To 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 6:1-2
    2 verses
    78%

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

    2 A man to whom God gives money, wealth, and honour so that he has all his desires but God does not give him the power to have joy of it, and a strange man takes it. This is to no purpose and an evil disease.

  • Eccl 1:13-15
    3 verses
    78%

    13 And 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.

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

    15 That which is bent may not be made straight, and that which is not there may not be numbered.

  • Eccl 12:8
    77%

    8 All things are to no purpose, says the Preacher, all is to no purpose.

  • Eccl 2:11-12
    2 verses
    77%

    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.

  • Eccl 2:15
    77%

    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.

  • Eccl 6:11-12
    2 verses
    77%

    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 2:17
    77%

    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 4:7-8
    2 verses
    76%

    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.

  • Eccl 8:6
    75%

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

  • Eccl 11:8
    75%

    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 4:16
    75%

    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 8:17
    75%

    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 3:22
    75%

    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 3:12
    75%

    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 5:16
    74%

    16 All his days are in the dark, and he has much sorrow, pain, disease, and trouble.

  • Eccl 3:10
    74%

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

  • Eccl 8:15
    74%

    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 8:13
    73%

    13 But it will not be well for the evil-doer; he will not make his days long like a shade, because he has no fear before God.

  • Eccl 7:20
    73%

    20 There is no man on earth of such righteousness that he does good and is free from sin all his days.

  • Eccl 1:2-3
    2 verses
    73%

    2 All is to no purpose, said the Preacher, all the ways of man are to no purpose.

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

  • Eccl 2:1
    73%

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