Ecclesiastes 6:3

KJV1611 – Modern English

If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, yet his soul is not filled with good, and indeed he has no burial; I say, that a premature birth is better than he.

Additional Resources

Other Translations

  • Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

    A man may father a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy life's good things and receives no proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.

  • King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

    If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.

  • American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

    If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul be not filled with good, and moreover he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he:

  • King James Version with Strong's Numbers

    If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.

  • Coverdale Bible (1535)

    Yf a man begett an hundreth children, and lyue many yeares, so that his dayes are many in nombre, and yet can not enioye his good, nether be buried: as for him I saye, that an vntymely byrth is better then he.

  • Geneva Bible (1560)

    If a man beget an hundreth children and liue many yeeres, and the dayes of his yeeres be multiplied, & his soule be not satisfied with good things, and he be not buried, I say that an vntimely fruite is better then he.

  • Bishops' Bible (1568)

    If a man beget a hundred children, and lyue many yeres, so that his dayes are many in number, and yet can not enioy his good, neither be buryed: as for him I say, that vntymely birth is better then he.

  • Authorized King James Version (1611)

    If a man beget an hundred [children], and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also [that] he have no burial; I say, [that] an untimely birth [is] better than he.

  • Webster's Bible (1833)

    If a man fathers a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with good, and moreover he has no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he:

  • Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

    If a man doth beget a hundred, and live many years, and is great, because they are the days of his years, and his soul is not satisfied from the goodness, and also he hath not had a grave, I have said, `Better than he `is' the untimely birth.'

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul be not filled with good, and moreover he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he:

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul be not filled with good, and moreover he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he:

  • Bible in Basic English (1941)

    If a man has a hundred children, and his life is long so that the days of his years are great in number, but his soul takes no pleasure in good, and he is not honoured at his death; I say that a birth before its time is better than he.

  • World English Bible (2000)

    If a man fathers a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with good, and moreover he has no burial; I say, that a stillborn child is better than he:

  • NET Bible® (New English Translation)

    Even if a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years– even if he lives a long, long time, but cannot enjoy his prosperity– even if he were to live forever– I would say,“A stillborn child is better off than he is!”

Referenced Verses

  • Job 3:16 : 16 Or as a hidden untimely birth I would not have existed; like infants who never saw light.
  • Eccl 4:3 : 3 Yes, better is he than both, who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
  • Jer 22:19 : 19 He shall be buried with the burial of a donkey, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.
  • 2 Kgs 9:35 : 35 And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands.
  • Isa 14:19-20 : 19 But you are cast out of your grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; like a carcass trodden under foot. 20 You will not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land, and slain your people: the seed of evildoers will never be renowned.
  • Gen 47:9 : 9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.
  • 1 Sam 2:20-21 : 20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give you descendants from this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went to their own home. 21 And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.
  • Eccl 5:17-19 : 17 All his days he also eats in darkness, and he has much sorrow and wrath with his sickness. 18 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. 19 Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, to receive his portion, and to rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God.
  • Jer 8:2 : 2 And they will spread them before the sun, the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, whom they have served, after whom they have walked, whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped. They will not be gathered nor buried; they will be dung upon the face of the earth.
  • Jer 36:30 : 30 Therefore thus says the LORD of Jehoiakim king of Judah: He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost.
  • Matt 26:24 : 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written about him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! it would have been good for that man if he had not been born.
  • 2 Kgs 10:1 : 1 And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to those who raised Ahab's children, saying,
  • 1 Chr 28:5 : 5 And of all my sons, (for the LORD has given me many sons,) he has chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.
  • 2 Chr 11:21 : 21 Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines (for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and begat twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters).
  • Esth 5:11 : 11 And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.
  • Esth 7:10 : 10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king's anger subsided.
  • Esth 9:14-15 : 14 And the king commanded it to be done: and the decree was given at Shushan; and they hanged Haman's ten sons. 15 For the Jews who were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and killed three hundred men at Shushan; but on the plunder they did not lay their hands.
  • Ps 58:8 : 8 As a snail that melts, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.
  • Ps 127:4-5 : 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty warrior, so are the children of one's youth. 5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate.
  • Prov 17:6 : 6 Children's children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their fathers.
  • Gen 33:5 : 5 And he lifted up his eyes and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with you? And he said, The children whom God has graciously given your servant.

Similar Verses (AI)

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

  • Eccl 6:4-12
    9 verses
    80%

    4For it comes in vanity and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness.

    5Moreover, it has not seen the sun nor known anything: this has more rest than the other.

    6Yes, even if he lives a thousand years twice over, yet has seen no good: do not all go to one place?

    7All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet his appetite is not satisfied.

    8For what has the wise more than the fool? what does the poor have, who knows to walk before the living?

    9Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire: this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

    10That which has been is already named, and it is known that it is man: nor can he contend with one mightier than he.

    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 4:2-3
    2 verses
    77%

    2Therefore I praised the dead who are already dead more than the living who are yet alive.

    3Yes, better is he than both, who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

  • Eccl 6:1-2
    2 verses
    75%

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

    2A man to whom God has given riches, wealth, and honor, so that he wants nothing for his soul of all he desires, yet God does not give him the power to eat of it, but a stranger eats it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

  • Eccl 5:14-17
    4 verses
    75%

    14But those riches perish through misfortune, and he begets a son, and there is nothing in his hand.

    15As he came from his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labor which he may carry away in his hand.

    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?

    17All his days he also eats in darkness, and he has much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.

  • Eccl 11:8
    74%

    8But if a man lives many years, and rejoices in them all, let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. All that comes is vanity.

  • Eccl 4:8
    73%

    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 4:15-16
    2 verses
    72%

    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 3:22
    72%

    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 1:3
    72%

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

  • Job 27:14-15
    2 verses
    72%

    14If his children multiply, it is for the sword; and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.

    15Those who survive him shall be buried in death, and his widows shall not weep.

  • Eccl 9:3
    72%

    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 2:21-26
    6 verses
    71%

    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.

  • Job 3:21
    71%

    21Who long for death, but it does not come; and dig for it more than for hidden treasures;

  • Job 21:21
    71%

    21For what pleasure does he have in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off?

  • Job 14:1
    71%

    1Man who is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.

  • Eccl 7:1-2
    2 verses
    71%

    1A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death is better than the day of one's birth.

    2It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men, and the living will take it to heart.

  • Eccl 3:19
    71%

    19For that which befalls the sons of men also befalls beasts; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other; yes, they all have one breath; so that a man has no advantage over a beast: for all is vanity.

  • Job 3:3
    70%

    3Let the day perish on which I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a male child conceived.

  • Eccl 4:13
    70%

    13Better is a poor and wise child than an old and foolish king who will not be admonished anymore.

  • Job 3:16
    70%

    16Or as a hidden untimely birth I would not have existed; like infants who never saw light.

  • Eccl 8:15
    70%

    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.

  • Job 21:25
    70%

    25Another dies in the bitterness of his soul, never having eaten with pleasure.

  • Eccl 3:12
    70%

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

  • Eccl 5:20
    70%

    20For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.

  • Eccl 4:6
    69%

    6Better is a handful with quietness than both hands full, with toil and vexation of spirit.

  • Prov 30:16
    69%

    16The grave, and the barren womb, the earth that is never filled with water, and the fire that never says, It is enough.

  • Eccl 2:19
    69%

    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 2:17
    69%

    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.

  • Eccl 9:9
    69%

    9Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity: for that is your portion in this life and in your labor which you take under the sun.