Ecclesiastes 8:8

Bible in Basic English (1941)

No man has authority over the wind, to keep the wind; or is ruler over the day of his death. In war no man's time is free, and evil will not keep the sinner safe.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Job 14:5 : 5 If his days are ordered, and you have knowledge of the number of his months, having given him a fixed limit past which he may not go;
  • Isa 28:15 : 15 Because you have said, We have made death our friend, and with the underworld we have made an agreement; when the overflowing waters come through they will not come near us; for we are looking to false words for help, taking cover in what is untrue:
  • Heb 9:27 : 27 And because by God's law death comes to men once, and after that they are judged;
  • Deut 20:1-8 : 1 When you go out to war against other nations, and come face to face with horses and war-carriages and armies greater in number than yourselves, have no fear of them: for the Lord your God is with you, who took you up out of the land of Egypt. 2 And when you are on the point of attacking, let the priest come forward and say to the people, 3 Give ear, O Israel: today you are going forward to the fight; let your heart be strong; do not let uncontrolled fear overcome you because of those who are against you; 4 For the Lord your God goes with you, fighting for you to give you salvation from those who are against you. 5 And let the overseers say to the people, If there is any man who has made for himself a new house and has not gone into it, let him go back to his house, so that in the event of his death in the fight, another may not take his house for himself. 6 Or if any man has made a vine-garden without taking the first-fruits of it, let him go back to his house, so that in the event of his death in the fight, another may not be the first to make use of the fruit. 7 Or if any man is newly married and has had no sex relations with his wife, let him go back to his house, so that in the event of his death in the fight, another man may not take her. 8 And let the overseers go on to say to the people, If there is any man whose heart is feeble with fear, let him go back to his house before he makes the hearts of his countrymen feeble.
  • 2 Sam 14:14 : 14 For death comes to us all, and we are like water drained out on the earth, which it is not possible to take up again; and God will not take away the life of the man whose purpose is that he who has been sent away may not be completely cut off from him.
  • 2 Kgs 7:15 : 15 And they went after them as far as Jordan; and all the road was covered with clothing and vessels dropped by the Aramaeans in their flight. So those who were sent went back and gave the news to the king.
  • Isa 28:18 : 18 And the help you were looking for from death will come to nothing, and your agreement with the underworld will be broken; when the overflowing waters come through, then you will be overcome by them.
  • 1 Cor 15:43 : 43 It is planted in shame; it comes again in glory: feeble when it is planted, it comes again in power:
  • 2 Cor 13:4 : 4 For he was feeble in that he was put to death on the cross, but he is living by the power of God. And we are feeble in him, but we will be living with him through the power of God in relation to you.
  • Job 34:14 : 14 If he made his spirit come back to him, taking his breath into himself again,
  • Ps 9:17 : 17 The sinners and all the nations who have no memory of God will be turned into the underworld.
  • Ps 49:6-9 : 6 Even of those whose faith is in their wealth, and whose hearts are lifted up because of their stores. 7 Truly, no man may get back his soul for a price, or give to God the payment for himself; 8 (Because it takes a great price to keep his soul from death, and man is not able to give it.) 9 So that he might have eternal life, and never see the underworld.
  • Ps 52:5-7 : 5 But God will put an end to you for ever; driving you out from your tent, uprooting you from the land of the living. (Selah.) 6 The upright will see it with fear, and will say, laughing at you: 7 See, this is the man who did not make God his strength, but had faith in his goods and his property, and made himself strong in his wealth.
  • Ps 73:18-28 : 18 You put their feet where there was danger of slipping, so that they go down into destruction. 19 How suddenly are they wasted! fears are the cause of their destruction. 20 As a dream when one is awake, they are ended; they are like an image gone out of mind when sleep is over. 21 My heart was made bitter, and I was pained by the bite of grief: 22 As for me, I was foolish, and without knowledge; I was like a beast before you. 23 But still I am ever with you; you have taken me by my right hand. 24 Your wisdom will be my guide, and later you will put me in a place of honour. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? and having you I have no desire for anything on earth. 26 My flesh and my heart are wasting away: but God is the Rock of my heart and my eternal heritage. 27 For those who are far away from you will come to destruction: you will put an end to all those who have not kept faith with you. 28 But it is good for me to come near to God: I have put my faith in the Lord God, so that I may make clear all his works.
  • Ps 89:48 : 48 What man now living will not see death? will he be able to keep back his soul from the underworld? (Selah.)
  • Prov 14:32 : 32 The sinner is overturned in his evil-doing, but the upright man has hope in his righteousness.
  • Eccl 3:21 : 21 Who 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?

Similar Verses (AI)

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

  • Eccl 8:5-7
    3 verses
    79%

    5 Whoever keeps the law will come to no evil: and a wise man's heart has knowledge of time and of decision.

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

    7 No one is certain what is to be, and who is able to say to him when it will be?

  • Eccl 8:9-10
    2 verses
    73%

    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.

  • Ps 89:48
    71%

    48 What man now living will not see death? will he be able to keep back his soul from the underworld? (Selah.)

  • Job 14:10
    71%

    10 But man comes to his death and is gone: he gives up his spirit, and where is he?

  • Eccl 6:10
    71%

    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.

  • Job 24:22
    71%

    22 But God by his power gives long life to the strong; he gets up again, though he has no hope of life.

  • Ps 73:4
    71%

    4 For they have no pain; their bodies are fat and strong.

  • Eccl 4:16
    71%

    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 9:5-6
    2 verses
    70%

    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 9:10-12
    3 verses
    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.

    11 And again I saw under the sun that the reward goes not to him who is quick, or the fruits of war to the strong; and there is no bread for the wise, or wealth for men of learning, or respect for those who have knowledge; but time and chance come to all.

    12 Even man has no knowledge of his time; like fishes taken in an evil net, or like birds taken by deceit, are the sons of men taken in an evil time when it comes suddenly on them.

  • Eccl 9:3
    70%

    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.

  • 2 Sam 14:14
    70%

    14 For death comes to us all, and we are like water drained out on the earth, which it is not possible to take up again; and God will not take away the life of the man whose purpose is that he who has been sent away may not be completely cut off from him.

  • Eccl 8:16-17
    2 verses
    70%

    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),

    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.

  • Job 7:9-10
    2 verses
    70%

    9 A cloud comes to an end and is gone; so he who goes down into the underworld comes not up again.

    10 He will not come back to his house, and his place will have no more knowledge of him.

  • Job 32:8
    69%

    8 But truly it is the spirit in man, even the breath of the Ruler of all, which gives them knowledge.

  • Eccl 6:12
    69%

    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 5:16
    69%

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

  • Eccl 3:19-22
    4 verses
    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.

    20 All go to one place, all are of the dust, and all will be turned to dust again.

    21 Who 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?

    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 12:7
    69%

    7 And the dust goes back to the earth as it was, and the spirit goes back to God who gave it.

  • Rev 9:6
    68%

    6 And in those days men will be hoping for death, and it will not come to them; and they will have a great desire for death, and death will go in flight from them.

  • Ps 146:4
    68%

    4 Man's breath goes out, he is turned back again to dust; in that day all his purposes come to an end.

  • Amos 2:14
    68%

    14 And flight will be impossible for the quick-footed, and the force of the strong will become feeble, and the man of war will not get away safely:

  • Job 9:12
    68%

    12 If he puts out his hand to take, by whom may it be turned back? who may say to him, What are you doing?

  • Eccl 7:15
    68%

    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 8:13-14
    2 verses
    68%

    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.

    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.

  • Eccl 2:16
    68%

    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!

  • Job 14:12
    68%

    12 So man goes down to his last resting-place and comes not again: till the heavens come to an end, they will not be awake or come out of their sleep.

  • Ps 33:16
    68%

    16 A king's salvation is not in the power of his army; a strong man does not get free by his great strength.

  • Job 33:18
    68%

    18 To keep back his soul from the underworld, and his life from destruction.

  • Eccl 9:1
    68%

    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.

  • Ps 49:17
    68%

    17 For at his death, he will take nothing away; his glory will not go down after him.

  • Prov 25:28
    67%

    28 He whose spirit is uncontrolled is like an unwalled town which has been broken into.

  • Ezek 7:13
    67%

    13 For the trader will not go back to the things for which he had his price, even while he is still living:

  • Eccl 11:8
    67%

    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.

  • 1 Tim 6:7
    67%

    7 For we came into the world with nothing, and we are not able to take anything out;

  • Prov 18:14
    67%

    14 The spirit of a man will be his support when he is ill; but how may a broken spirit be lifted up?

  • Prov 14:12
    67%

    12 There is a way which seems straight before a man, but its end is the ways of death.

  • Prov 21:30
    67%

    30 Wisdom and knowledge and wise suggestions are of no use against the Lord.