Ecclesiastes 5:18

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and enables them to enjoy it, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.

Additional Resources

Other Translations

  • King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

    Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.

  • KJV1611 – Modern English

    Behold, what I have seen: it is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life, which God gives him; for it is his portion.

  • King James Version 1611 (Original)

    Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.

  • American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

    Behold, that which I have seen{H7200} to be good{H2896} and to be comely{H3303} is for one to eat{H398} and to drink,{H8354} and to enjoy{H7200} good{H2896} in all his labor,{H5999} wherein he laboreth{H5998} under the sun,{H8121} all{H4557} the days{H3117} of his life{H2416} which God{H430} hath given{H5414} him: for this is his portion.{H2506}

  • King James Version with Strong's Numbers

    Behold that which I have seen{H7200}{(H8804)}: it is good{H2896} and comely{H3303} for one to eat{H398}{(H8800)} and to drink{H8354}{(H8800)}, and to enjoy{H7200}{(H8800)} the good{H2896} of all his labour{H5999} that he taketh{H5998}{(H8799)} under the sun{H8121} all{H4557} the days{H3117} of his life{H2416}, which God{H430} giveth{H5414}{(H8804)} him: for it is his portion{H2506}.

  • Coverdale Bible (1535)

    Therfore me thinke it a better and a fayrer thinge, a man to eate and drynke, and to be refreshed of all his laboure, yt he taketh vnder the Sonne all the dayes of his life which God geueth him, for this is his porcion.

  • Geneva Bible (1560)

    (5:17) Beholde then, what I haue seene good, that it is comely to eate, and to drinke, and to take pleasure in all his labour, wherein he traueileth vnder the sunne, the whole nomber of the dayes of his life, which God giueth him: for this is his portion.

  • Bishops' Bible (1568)

    Therfore me thinke it a better and a fayrer thyng, a man to eate and drynke, and to be refresshed of all his labour that he taketh vnder the sunne, all the dayes of his lyfe which God geueth him: for this is his portion.

  • Authorized King James Version (1611)

    ¶ Behold [that] which I have seen: [it is] good and comely [for one] to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it [is] his portion.

  • Webster's Bible (1833)

    Behold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, in which he labors under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion.

  • Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

    Lo, that which I have seen: `It is' good, because beautiful, to eat, and to drink, and to see good in all one's labour that he laboureth at under the sun, the number of the days of his life that God hath given to him, for it `is' his portion.

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to be comely is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, wherein he laboreth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for this is his portion.

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to be comely is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, wherein he laboreth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for this is his portion.

  • Bible in Basic English (1941)

    Every man to whom God has given money and wealth and the power to have pleasure in it and to do his part and have joy in his work: this is given by God.

  • World English Bible (2000)

    Behold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, in which he labors under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion.

  • NET Bible® (New English Translation)

    Enjoy the Fruit of Your Labor I have seen personally what is the only beneficial and appropriate course of action for people: to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all their hard work on earth during the few days of their life which God has given them, for this is their reward.

Referenced Verses

  • Eccl 2:10 : 10 Anything 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.
  • Eccl 2:24 : 24 There 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.
  • Eccl 3:22 : 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 8:15 : 15 So 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 3:12-13 : 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to rejoice and to do good while they live. 13 And also that every person should eat, drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.
  • Eccl 9:7 : 7 Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a glad heart, for God has already approved your works.
  • Eccl 11:9 : 9 Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart be glad in the days of your prime. Follow the ways of your heart and the sights of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.
  • Jer 52:34 : 34 As long as he lived, his regular food allowance was given to him by the king of Babylon, day by day, until his death.
  • 1 Tim 6:17 : 17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be arrogant or to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy.

Similar Verses (AI)

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

  • Eccl 3:9-13
    5 verses
    87%

    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.

    13 And also that every person should eat, drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.

  • Eccl 2:17-26
    10 verses
    87%

    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.

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

    19 And 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.

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

    21 For 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.

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

    23 All 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.

    24 There 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.

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

    26 To 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.

  • 19 For they seldom reflect on the days of their life because God keeps them occupied with joy in their hearts.

  • Eccl 8:14-17
    4 verses
    86%

    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.'

    15 So 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.

    16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to observe the work that is done on earth, even though people do not see sleep with their eyes day or night,

    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.

  • 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 5:16-17
    2 verses
    80%

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

    17 Behold, 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 2:10-11
    2 verses
    80%

    10 Anything 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.

    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 9:9-10
    2 verses
    78%

    9 Enjoy 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.

    10 Whatever 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.

  • 7 Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a glad heart, for God has already approved your works.

  • 7 All human toil is for their mouth, yet their appetite is never satisfied.

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

  • 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 11:7-9
    3 verses
    75%

    7 Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.

    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.

    9 Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart be glad in the days of your prime. Follow the ways of your heart and the sights of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

  • Eccl 5:11-12
    2 verses
    74%

    11 The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but the abundance of the rich permits them no sleep.

    12 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners.

  • Eccl 6:1-2
    2 verses
    74%

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

    2 God gives a man wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires. Yet God does not enable him to enjoy them, but instead a foreigner eats them. This is meaningless and a grievous misfortune.

  • 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.

  • 2 You will eat the fruit of your labor; you will be blessed, and it will go well with you.

  • Eccl 4:3-4
    2 verses
    73%

    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.

    4 And 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 1:13-14
    2 verses
    72%

    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.

  • 3 I explored with my heart how to cheer my body with wine, while my mind guided me with wisdom, and how to embrace folly until I could see what is good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.

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

  • 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.

  • 15 wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread that sustains their hearts.

  • 8 There 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!