Ecclesiastes 2:20

KJV1611 – Modern English

Therefore I turned my heart to despair over all the labor which I had done under the sun.

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Referenced Verses

  • Gen 43:14 : 14 And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
  • Job 17:11-15 : 11 My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart. 12 They change the night into day; the light is near because of darkness. 13 If I wait, the grave is my house; I have made my bed in the darkness. 14 I have said to corruption, 'You are my father'; to the worm, 'You are my mother, and my sister.' 15 And where now is my hope? As for my hope, who shall see it?
  • Ps 39:6-7 : 6 Surely every man walks in a vain show: surely they are troubled in vain: he heaps up riches, and does not know who shall gather them. 7 And now, Lord, what do I wait for? my hope is in you.
  • 1 Cor 15:19 : 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most miserable.
  • 2 Cor 1:8-9 : 8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed beyond measure, above strength, so much that we despaired even of life. 9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead. 10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver; in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;
  • 1 Thess 3:3-4 : 3 That no one should be unsettled by these afflictions, for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. 4 For truly, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know.

Similar Verses (AI)

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

  • Eccl 2:10-13
    4 verses
    89%

    10And 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.

    11Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor I had toiled to do; and behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

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

    13Then I saw that wisdom excels folly just as light excels darkness.

  • Eccl 2:17-19
    3 verses
    88%

    17Therefore I hated life, because the work that was done under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

    18Yes, I hated all my labor that I had labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me.

    19And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I have labored and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

  • Eccl 2:21-26
    6 verses
    87%

    21For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill. Yet he must leave his inheritance to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.

    22For what has man from all his labor, and of the striving of his heart with which he has labored under the sun?

    23For all his days are sorrowful, and his work is burdensome; even at night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

    24There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy the good of his labor. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God.

    25For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?

    26For God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to the man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and collecting, only to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

  • Eccl 1:13-14
    2 verses
    84%

    13And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this difficult task God has given to the children of man to be engaged with.

    14I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

  • Eccl 1:16-17
    2 verses
    82%

    16I communed with my own heart, saying, Look, I have attained great stature, and gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem: yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

    17And I set my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after wind.

  • Eccl 4:7-8
    2 verses
    82%

    7Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.

    8There is one alone, without a second; yes, he has neither child nor brother, yet there is no end to all his labor, nor is his eye satisfied with riches, nor does he ask, 'For whom do I labor and deprive my soul of good?' This is also vanity, yes, it is a grievous toil.

  • Eccl 1:2-3
    2 verses
    82%

    2Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

    3What profit does a man have from all his labor which he does under the sun?

  • Eccl 2:15
    81%

    15So I said in my heart, "As it happens to the fool, so it happens even to me. And why was I then more wise?" Then I said in my heart, "This also is vanity."

  • Eccl 4:4
    80%

    4Again, I considered all the toil and every right work, that for this a man is envied by his neighbor. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

  • Eccl 8:15-17
    3 verses
    79%

    15So I commended joy, because a man has no better thing under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor the days of his life, which God gives him under the sun.

    16When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to see the work that is done upon the earth (for there are those who neither day nor night see sleep with their eyes),

    17Then I saw all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. Even though a man labors to seek it out, he shall not find it; moreover, though a wise man thinks to know it, he shall not be able to find it.

  • Eccl 2:1-4
    4 verses
    79%

    1I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure." And behold, this also is vanity.

    2I said of laughter, "It is madness," and of mirth, "What does it accomplish?"

    3I searched in my heart to give myself to wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what is good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives.

    4I made great works; I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself.

  • Eccl 7:25
    78%

    25I applied my heart to know, to search, and to seek out wisdom and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even foolishness and madness.

  • Eccl 3:9-10
    2 verses
    78%

    9What profit does he have who works in that which he labors?

    10I have seen the task which God has given to the sons of men to be occupied with.

  • Eccl 3:22
    77%

    22Therefore I perceive that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who can bring him to see what shall be after him?

  • Eccl 12:8
    77%

    8Vanity of vanities, says the preacher; all is vanity.

  • Eccl 8:9-10
    2 verses
    76%

    9All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun; there is a time when one man rules over another to his own harm.

    10Then I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had done so. This also is vanity.

  • Eccl 6:11-12
    2 verses
    76%

    11Since there are many things that increase vanity, what advantage does man have?

    12For who knows what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spends as a shadow? For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?

  • Eccl 5:16
    76%

    16And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go; and what profit has he who has labored for the wind?

  • Eccl 4:15-16
    2 verses
    76%

    15I considered all the living who walk under the sun, with the second child who shall stand up in his place.

    16There is no end of all the people, even of all who have been before them; they also that come after will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

  • Eccl 9:1
    75%

    1For all this I considered in my heart, even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God. No one knows either love or hatred by all that is before them.

  • Eccl 6:1
    75%

    1There is an evil I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:

  • Eccl 3:12
    75%

    12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives.

  • Eccl 9:10
    75%

    10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave where you go.

  • Eccl 9:13
    74%

    13This wisdom I have seen also under the sun, and it seemed great to me:

  • Eccl 9:3
    74%

    3This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that, they go to the dead.

  • Eccl 3:18
    74%

    18I said in my heart concerning the condition of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are like beasts.

  • Eccl 4:1
    73%

    1So I returned and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power, but they had no comforter.