Ecclesiastes 3:15
Whatever has already been, and what will be has already been; and God seeks what has been pursued.
Additional Resources
Other Translations
King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)
That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
KJV1611 – Modern English
That which is, has already been; and that which is to be, has already been; and God requires an account of the past.
King James Version 1611 (Original)
That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers
That which is{H3528} hath been long ago; and that which is to be hath long ago{H3528} been: and God{H430} seeketh{H1245} again that which is passed{H7291} away.
King James Version with Strong's Numbers
That which hath been is now{H3528}; and that which is to be hath already{H3528} been; and God{H430} requireth{H1245}{(H8762)} that which is past{H7291}{(H8737)}.
Coverdale Bible (1535)
The thinge yt hath bene, is now: & the thinge yt is for to come, hath bene afore tyme, for God restoreth agayne the thinge that was past.
Geneva Bible (1560)
What is that that hath bene? That is nowe: and that that shalbe, hath now bene: for God requireth that which is past.
Bishops' Bible (1568)
The thyng that hath ben, is nowe: and the thyng that is for to come, hath ben afore time: for God restoreth againe the thyng that was past.
Authorized King James Version (1611)
That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
Webster's Bible (1833)
That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago: and God seeks again that which is passed away.
Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)
What is that which hath been? already it is, and that which `is' to be hath already been, and God requireth that which is pursued.
American Standard Version (1901)
That which is hath been long ago; and that which is to be hath long ago been: and God seeketh again that which is passed away.
American Standard Version (1901)
That which is hath been long ago; and that which is to be hath long ago been: and God seeketh again that which is passed away.
Bible in Basic English (1941)
Whatever is has been before, and what is to be is now; because God makes search for the things which are past.
World English Bible (2000)
That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago: and God seeks again that which is passed away.
NET Bible® (New English Translation)
Whatever exists now has already been, and whatever will be has already been; for God will seek to do again what has occurred in the past.
Referenced Verses
- Eccl 1:9-9 : 9 What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there anything of which one can say, 'Look! This is something new'? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.
- Eccl 6:10 : 10 Whatever exists has already been given its name, and it is known what mankind is; no one can contend with someone who is stronger.
Similar Verses (AI)
These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.
- Eccl 1:8-114 verses84%
8 All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.
9 What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which one can say, 'Look! This is something new'? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.
11 No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them.
- 83%
14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it nor taken from it. God does this so that people will fear Him.
- Eccl 6:10-123 verses79%
10 Whatever exists has already been given its name, and it is known what mankind is; no one can contend with someone who is stronger.
11 The more words, the more meaningless—and what advantage does that bring to anyone?
12 For 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 2:11-122 verses77%
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.
12 So 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 3:9-124 verses76%
9 What does the worker gain from all their toil?
10 I have seen the burden that God has laid on the human race.
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity in the human heart, yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to rejoice and to do good while they live.
- 76%
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 1:13-153 verses75%
13 I 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!
14 I have seen all the deeds that are done under the sun; they are all meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
15 What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
- Eccl 4:2-32 verses74%
2 And I praised the dead who had already died, more than the living who are still alive.
3 But 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.
- 74%
22 So 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 3:1-22 verses73%
1 There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.
2 A time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
- Eccl 4:15-162 verses73%
15 I saw all the living who walk under the sun following the youth, the second one, who replaces him.
16 There 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 1:2-54 verses73%
2 “Utterly meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”
3 What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?
4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
5 The sun rises, and the sun sets, and it hurries back to where it rises.
- 73%
1 So 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.
- 72%
14 There 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.'
- 72%
8 'Utter futility,' says the Teacher. 'Everything is futile!'
- Eccl 3:18-203 verses72%
18 I said in my heart concerning the matter of the sons of man, that God is testing them to show them that they are like animals.
19 For the fate of humans and the fate of animals is the same. As one dies, so dies the other; they all have the same breath, and humans have no advantage over animals, for everything is meaningless.
20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.
- Eccl 7:13-153 verses72%
13 Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what he has made crooked?
14 When times are good, be joyful; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.
15 In my fleeting life, I have seen it all: The righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness.
- Eccl 8:9-102 verses72%
9 I 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.
10 Then 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.
- 72%
3 This 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.
- 71%
16 Throughout his days, he eats in darkness, with great frustration, sickness, and anger.
- 71%
17 then 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.
- 71%
4 Do you not know this from ancient times, since man was placed on the earth,
- 71%
6 A time to search and a time to give up; a time to keep and a time to throw away.
- Eccl 2:16-172 verses70%
16 For 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!
17 So I hated life, because the work done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
- 70%
8 For 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.
- 70%
13 I also saw this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me.
- 70%
16 The wind blows over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.