Ecclesiastes 11:9

KJV1611 – Modern English

Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes — but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

שְׂמַ֧ח בָּח֣וּר בְּיַלְדוּתֶ֗יךָ וִֽיטִּֽיבְךָ֤ לִבְּךָ֙ בִּימֵ֣י בְחוּרוֹתֶ֔ךָ וְהַלֵּךְ֙ בְּדַרְכֵ֣י לִבְּךָ֔ וּבְמַרְאֵ֖י עֵינֶ֑יךָ וְדָ֕ע כִּ֧י עַל־כָּל־אֵ֛לֶּה יְבִֽיאֲךָ֥ הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

Transliteration

Śĕmaḥ bāḥûr in-yalḏûṯeḵā and-yĕṭîḇĕḵā libbĕḵā in-yĕmê bĕḥûrôṯeḵā and-hallēḵ in-ḏarḵê libbĕḵā and-in-marʾê ʿêneḵā and-dāʿ that upon-all-these yĕḇîʾăḵā the-ʾĕlōhîm in-the-mišpāṭ

Grammar Details

• *Śĕmaḥ*: qal imperative, masculine singular - rejoice
• *bāḥûr*: noun, masculine singular - young man
• *yalḏûṯeḵā*: noun, feminine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix - your youth
• *yĕṭîḇĕḵā*: hiphil imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix - it will make you glad
• *libbĕḵā*: noun, masculine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix - your heart
• *yĕmê*: noun, masculine plural construct - days of
• *bĕḥûrôṯeḵā*: noun, feminine plural with 2nd person masculine singular suffix - your young manhood
• *hallēḵ*: piel imperative, masculine singular - walk
• *ḏarḵê*: noun, masculine plural construct - ways of
• *marʾê*: noun, masculine plural construct - sights of
• *ʿêneḵā*: noun, feminine dual with 2nd person masculine singular suffix - your eyes
• *dāʿ*: qal imperative, masculine singular - know
• *yĕḇîʾăḵā*: hiphil imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix - he will bring you
• *ʾĕlōhîm*: noun, masculine plural - God
• *mišpāṭ*: noun, masculine singular - judgment

Word Meanings

• *bāḥûr*: young man/youth/chosen one
• *yalḏûṯeḵā*: your youth/childhood
• *libbĕḵā*: your heart/mind/inner self
• *bĕḥûrôṯeḵā*: your young manhood/prime of life
• *hallēḵ*: walk/go/proceed
• *ḏarḵê*: ways/paths/journeys
• *ʾĕlōhîm*: God/gods/divine being
• *mišpāṭ*: judgment/justice/ordinance

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  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.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  Rejoice,{H8055} O young man,{H970} in thy youth,{H3208} and let thy heart{H3820} cheer{H2895} thee in the days{H3117} of thy youth,{H979} and walk{H1980} in the ways{H1870} of thy heart,{H3820} and in the sight{H4758} of thine eyes;{H5869} but know{H3045} thou, that for all these things God{H430} will bring{H935} thee into judgment.{H4941}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  Rejoice{H8055}{(H8798)}, O young man{H970}, in thy youth{H3208}; and let thy heart{H3820} cheer{H2895}{(H8686)} thee in the days{H3117} of thy youth{H979}, and walk{H1980}{(H8761)} in the ways{H1870} of thine heart{H3820}, and in the sight{H4758} of thine eyes{H5869}: but know{H3045}{(H8798)} thou, that for all these things God{H430} will bring{H935}{(H8686)} thee into judgment{H4941}.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Be glad then (O thou yonge man) in thy youth, and lat thine hert be mery in thy yonge dayes: folowe the wayes of thine owne hert, and the lust of thine eyes: but be thou sure, that God shal bringe the in to iudgment for all these thinges.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Reioyce, O yong man, in thy youth, and let thine heart cheere thee in the dayes of thy youth: and walke in the waies of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but knowe that for all these things, God wil bring thee to iudgement.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Be glad then (O thou young man) in thy youth, and let thy heart be merie in thy young dayes, folowe the wayes of thyne owne heart, and the lust of thyne eyes, but be thou sure that God shall bryng thee into iudgement for all these thinges.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these [things] God will bring thee into judgment.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Rejoice, young man, in your youth, And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, And walk in the ways of your heart, And in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  Rejoice, O young man, in thy childhood, And let thy heart gladden thee in days of thy youth, And walk in the ways of thy heart, And in the sight of thine eyes, And know thou that for all these, Doth God bring thee into judgment.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  Have joy, O young man, while you are young; and let your heart be glad in the days of your strength, and go in the ways of your heart, and in the desire of your eyes; but be certain that for all these things God will be your judge.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Enjoy Life to the Fullest under the Fear of God Rejoice, young man, while you are young, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes, but know that God will judge your motives and actions.

Referenced Verses

• Eccl 12:14 : 14 For God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it is good, or whether it is evil.
• Eccl 3:17 : 17 I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time for every purpose and for every work.
• Job 31:7 : 7 If my step has turned out of the way, and my heart walked after my eyes, and if any stain has cleaved to my hands;
• Eccl 2:10 : 10 And whatever my eyes desired, I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my reward from all my labor.
• Rom 14:10 : 10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
• 1 Cor 4:5 : 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts; and then each person will receive praise from God.
• 2 Cor 5:10 : 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
• Eph 2:2-3 : 2 In which in times past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conduct in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
• Heb 9:27 : 27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
• 1 Pet 4:3-4 : 3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have done the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in sensuality, lusts, excess of wine, revelings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: 4 Wherein they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
• 2 Pet 3:7 : 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved for fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
• 1 John 2:15-16 : 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father, but is of the world.
• Rev 20:12-15 : 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 And Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
• Ps 50:4-6 : 4 He shall call to the heavens above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people. 5 Gather My saints together to Me; those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice. 6 And the heavens shall declare His righteousness: for God Himself is judge. Selah.
• Ps 81:12 : 12 So I gave them up to their own hearts' desires, and they walked in their own counsels.
• Eccl 12:1 : 1 Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, while the evil days do not come, nor the years draw near when you will say, I have no pleasure in them;
• Jer 7:24 : 24 But they did not listen, nor incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.
• Jer 23:17 : 17 They still say to those who despise me, 'The LORD has said, You shall have peace.' And they say to everyone who walks after the imagination of his own heart, 'No evil shall come upon you.'
• Jer 44:16-17 : 16 As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you. 17 But we will certainly do whatever thing proceeds out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then we had plenty of food, and were well, and saw no evil.
• Lam 3:27 : 27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth.
• Matt 5:28 : 28 But I say to you, that whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
• Luke 15:12-13 : 12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me. And he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered everything together, and took his journey to a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
• Acts 14:16 : 16 Who in the past allowed all nations to walk in their own ways.
• Acts 17:30-31 : 30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 Because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained; He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.
• Acts 24:25 : 25 And as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go away for now; when I have a convenient time, I will call for you.
• Rom 2:5-9 : 5 But because of your hardness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6 Who will render to each person according to his deeds: 7 To those who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life: 8 But to those who are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10 But glory, honor, and peace, to every man who works good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no partiality with God.
• Gen 3:6 : 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of the fruit and ate, and gave also to her husband with her; and he ate.
• Gen 6:2 : 2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves from all whom they chose.
• Num 15:30 : 30 But the soul who does anything presumptuously, whether he is native or a stranger, that soul reproaches the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
• Num 15:39 : 39 And it shall be for you a fringe, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that you do not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, in which you used to go astray:
• Num 22:32 : 32 And the angel of the LORD said to him, Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Look, I went out to withstand you, because your way is perverse before me:
• Deut 29:19 : 19 And it comes to pass, when he hears the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of my heart, to add drunkenness to thirst:
• Josh 7:21 : 21 When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
• 2 Sam 11:2-4 : 2 And it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king's house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. 3 So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? 4 Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house.
• 1 Kgs 18:12 : 12 And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of the LORD shall carry you where I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he shall slay me: but I your servant have feared the LORD from my youth.
• 1 Kgs 18:27 : 27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleeps, and must be awakened.
• 1 Kgs 22:15 : 15 So he came to the king. And the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we refrain? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the king’s hand.