Ecclesiastes 2:17

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

So I hated life, because the work done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

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Other Translations

Referenced Verses

  • Eccl 2:11 : 11 Yet when I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, behold, everything was meaningless—a chasing after the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun.
  • Eccl 2:22 : 22 What does a person gain from all their labor and from the striving of their heart under the sun?
  • Eccl 3:16 : 16 And I saw under the sun, in the place of judgment, wickedness was there, and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there as well.
  • Eccl 4:2 : 2 And I praised the dead who had already died, more than the living who are still alive.
  • Eccl 6:9 : 9 Better is what the eyes see than the wandering of desire. This too is meaningless and a chasing after the wind.
  • Jer 20:14-18 : 14 Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother gave birth to me not be blessed. 15 Cursed be the man who brought my father the news, saying, 'A male child has been born to you,' and made him very glad. 16 May that man be like the cities the LORD overthrew without relenting. May he hear cries of distress in the morning and shouts of alarm at noon. 17 For he did not kill me in the womb, so my mother would have been my grave, and her womb forever pregnant. 18 Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame?
  • Ezek 3:14 : 14 The Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and anger of spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me.
  • Jonah 4:3 : 3 Now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.
  • Jonah 4:8 : 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wished to die and said, 'It is better for me to die than to live.'
  • Hab 1:3 : 3 Why do You make me see wrongdoing and observe trouble? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.
  • Phil 1:23-25 : 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better; 24 but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. 25 Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,
  • Num 11:15 : 15 If this is how You are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me—if I have found favor in Your eyes—and do not let me see my misery.
  • 1 Kgs 19:4 : 4 He went a day's journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom tree, sat under it, and prayed that he might die. 'Enough, LORD,' he said. 'Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.'
  • Job 3:20-22 : 20 Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter in soul? 21 To those who long for death, but it does not come, and dig for it more than for hidden treasures. 22 Who rejoice exceedingly and are glad when they find the grave.
  • Job 7:15-16 : 15 I prefer strangling and death rather than this body of mine. 16 I despise my life; I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.
  • Job 14:13 : 13 If only you would hide me in the grave and conceal me till your anger has passed! If you would set me a time and then remember me!
  • Ps 89:47 : 47 How long, LORD? Will you hide yourself forever? Will your wrath keep burning like fire?
  • Eccl 1:14 : 14 I have seen all the deeds that are done under the sun; they are all meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Similar Verses (AI)

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

  • Eccl 2:18-26
    9 verses
    90%

    18I hated all my toil under the sun because I must leave it to the one who comes after me.

    19And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will rule over all the fruit of my labor that I have worked for under the sun. This too is meaningless.

    20So I turned my heart to despair over all the hard work with which I had labored under the sun.

    21For there is a person who labors with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, but then must leave everything to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.

    22What does a person gain from all their labor and from the striving of their heart under the sun?

    23All their days are full of sorrow, and their work is filled with grief; even at night their mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.

    24There is nothing better for a person than to eat and drink and find enjoyment in their work. This too, I realized, is from the hand of God.

    25For who can eat or who can enjoy life apart from Him?

    26To the person who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner, He gives the task of gathering and storing wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

  • Eccl 2:10-12
    3 verses
    89%

    10Anything my eyes desired, I did not withhold from them; I did not keep my heart from any pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, for this was my reward for all my efforts.

    11Yet when I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, behold, everything was meaningless—a chasing after the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun.

    12So I turned my attention to consider wisdom, madness, and folly. For what can anyone do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done.

  • Eccl 1:13-14
    2 verses
    87%

    13I set my heart to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a burdensome task God has given to the human race to occupy themselves with!

    14I have seen all the deeds that are done under the sun; they are all meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

  • Eccl 4:2-4
    3 verses
    82%

    2And I praised the dead who had already died, more than the living who are still alive.

    3But better than both is the one who has not yet been born, who has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.

    4And I saw that all toil and all skill in work are driven by one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

  • Eccl 1:2-3
    2 verses
    82%

    2“Utterly meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”

    3What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?

  • Eccl 4:7-8
    2 verses
    81%

    7Again, I turned and saw meaninglessness under the sun.

    8There was a man all alone. He had no son or brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. 'For whom am I toiling,' he asked, 'and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?' This too is meaningless—a miserable business!

  • Eccl 1:17
    81%

    17Then I set my heart to understand wisdom, as well as madness and folly, but I learned that this too is a chasing after the wind.

  • Eccl 12:8
    81%

    8'Utter futility,' says the Teacher. 'Everything is futile!'

  • Eccl 4:16
    79%

    16There is no end to all the people who were before them, yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

  • Eccl 2:15-16
    2 verses
    79%

    15Then I said in my heart, 'What happens to the fool will also happen to me. So why have I been so very wise?' And I concluded in my heart, 'This too is meaningless.'

    16For the wise, like the fool, will not be remembered forever; in the days to come, everything will be forgotten. How does the wise person die? Just like the fool!

  • Job 7:16
    78%

    16I despise my life; I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.

  • Eccl 8:9-10
    2 verses
    78%

    9I observed all this as I considered all the work done under the sun: a time when one man has power over another to hurt them.

    10Then I saw the wicked buried, who used to go in and out of the holy place, but now they are forgotten in the city where they acted this way. This too is meaningless.

  • Eccl 8:17
    78%

    17then I saw all the work of God, that no one can understand the work that is done under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can comprehend it. Even if the wise claim to know, they cannot truly understand it.

  • Eccl 5:16-17
    2 verses
    77%

    16Throughout his days, he eats in darkness, with great frustration, sickness, and anger.

    17Behold, what I have seen is good and fitting: to eat and drink and to enjoy the good of all one's labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him, for this is his reward.

  • Eccl 6:11-12
    2 verses
    77%

    11The more words, the more meaningless—and what advantage does that bring to anyone?

    12For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few days of their fleeting life? They pass like a shadow. Who can tell them what will happen under the sun after they are gone?

  • Eccl 2:1-2
    2 verses
    77%

    1I said to myself, 'Come now, I will test you with pleasure to see what is good.' But behold, this too was meaningless.

    2I said of laughter, 'It is madness,' and of joy, 'What does it accomplish?'

  • Eccl 3:22
    77%

    22So I saw that there is nothing better than for a person to rejoice in their work, for that is their lot. Who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

  • Eccl 8:14-15
    2 verses
    77%

    14There is a futility that takes place on the earth: righteous people receive what the wicked deserve, and wicked people receive what the righteous deserve. I said, 'This too is vanity.'

    15So I praised enjoyment, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat, drink, and be glad. This will accompany them in their toil through the days of life that God has given them under the sun.

  • Eccl 6:9
    76%

    9Better is what the eyes see than the wandering of desire. This too is meaningless and a chasing after the wind.

  • Eccl 3:9-10
    2 verses
    76%

    9What does the worker gain from all their toil?

    10I have seen the burden that God has laid on the human race.

  • Eccl 3:12
    76%

    12I know that there is nothing better for people than to rejoice and to do good while they live.

  • Eccl 11:8
    76%

    8For if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in all of them, but let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. All that comes is meaningless.

  • Eccl 9:1
    75%

    1So I reflected on all this and set my heart to examine it: that the righteous, the wise, and their deeds are in the hand of God. People do not know whether love or hatred awaits them; everything lies before them.

  • Eccl 6:1
    75%

    1There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it is great upon humanity.

  • Eccl 9:3
    75%

    3This is the distressing thing about everything that happens under the sun: the same fate befalls all. Moreover, the hearts of humans are full of evil, and madness resides in their hearts during their lives; and after that, they join the dead.

  • Eccl 9:9-10
    2 verses
    75%

    9Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your portion in life and in your hard work under the sun.

    10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

  • Eccl 2:4
    74%

    4I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards.