Ecclesiastes 11:8

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

So, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all, but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many– all that is about to come is obscure.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Deut 32:29 : 29 I wish that they were wise and could understand this, and that they could comprehend what will happen to them.”
  • Job 10:22 : 22 to the land of utter darkness, like the deepest darkness, and the deepest shadow and disorder, where even the light is like darkness.”
  • Job 14:10 : 10 But man dies and is powerless; he expires– and where is he?
  • Job 15:23 : 23 he wanders about– food for vultures; he knows that the day of darkness is at hand.
  • Job 18:18 : 18 He is driven from light into darkness and is banished from the world.
  • Eccl 2:1-9 : 1 Futility of Self-Indulgent Pleasure I thought to myself,“Come now, I will try self-indulgent pleasure to see if it is worthwhile.” But I found that it also is futile. 2 I said of partying,“It is folly,” and of self-indulgent pleasure,“It accomplishes nothing!” 3 I thought deeply about the effects of indulging myself with wine(all the while my mind was guiding me with wisdom) and the effects of behaving foolishly, so that I might discover what is profitable for people to do on earth during the few days of their lives. 4 Futility of Materialism I increased my possessions: I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself. 5 I designed royal gardens and parks for myself, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I constructed pools of water for myself, to irrigate my grove of flourishing trees. 7 I purchased male and female slaves, and I owned slaves who were born in my house; I also possessed more livestock– both herds and flocks– than any of my predecessors in Jerusalem. 8 I also amassed silver and gold for myself, as well as valuable treasures taken from kingdoms and provinces. I acquired male singers and female singers for myself, and what gives a man sensual delight– a harem of beautiful concubines! 9 So I was far wealthier than all my predecessors in Jerusalem, yet I maintained my objectivity: 10 I did not restrain myself from getting whatever I wanted; I did not deny myself anything that would bring me pleasure. So all my accomplishments gave me joy; this was my reward for all my effort. 11 Yet when I reflected on everything I had accomplished and on all the effort that I had expended to accomplish it, I concluded:“All these achievements and possessions are ultimately profitless– like chasing the wind! There is nothing gained from them on earth.”
  • Eccl 2:15 : 15 So I thought to myself,“The fate of the fool will happen even to me! Then what did I gain by becoming so excessively wise?” So I lamented to myself,“The benefits of wisdom are ultimately meaningless!”
  • Eccl 2:17 : 17 So I loathed life because what happens on earth seems awful to me; for all the benefits of wisdom are futile– like chasing the wind.
  • Eccl 2:19 : 19 Who knows if he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will be master over all the fruit of my labor for which I worked so wisely on earth! This also is futile!
  • Eccl 2:21-23 : 21 For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; however, he must hand over the fruit of his labor as an inheritance to someone else who did not work for it. This also is futile, and an awful injustice! 22 Painful Days and Restless Nights What does a man acquire from all his labor and from the anxiety that accompanies his toil on earth? 23 For all day long his work produces pain and frustration, and even at night his mind cannot relax! This also is futile!
  • Eccl 2:26 : 26 For to the one who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner, he gives the task of amassing wealth– only to give it to the one who pleases God. This task of the wicked is futile– like chasing the wind!
  • Eccl 3:12-13 : 12 Enjoy Life in the Present I have concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they live, 13 and also that everyone should eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all his toil, for these things are a gift from God.
  • Eccl 4:8 : 8 A man who is all alone with no companion, he has no children nor siblings; yet there is no end to all his toil, and he is never satisfied with riches. He laments,“For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is futile and a burdensome task!
  • Eccl 4:16 : 16 There is no end to all the people nor to the past generations, yet future generations will not rejoice in him. This also is profitless and like chasing the wind.
  • Eccl 5:15-16 : 15 Just as he came forth from his mother’s womb, naked will he return as he came, and he will take nothing in his hand that he may carry away from his toil. 16 This is another misfortune: Just as he came, so will he go. What did he gain from toiling for the wind?
  • Eccl 5:18-20 : 18 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. 19 To every man whom God has given wealth, and possessions, he has also given him the ability to eat from them, to receive his reward and to find enjoyment in his toil; these things are the gift of God. 20 For he does not think much about the fleeting days of his life because God keeps him preoccupied with the joy he derives from his activity.
  • Eccl 6:6 : 6 if he should live a thousand years twice, yet does not enjoy his prosperity. For both of them die!
  • Eccl 6:11 : 11 The more one argues with words, the less he accomplishes. How does that benefit him?
  • Eccl 7:14 : 14 In times of prosperity be joyful, but in times of adversity consider this: God has made one as well as the other, so that no one can discover what the future holds.
  • Eccl 8:12 : 12 Even though a sinner might commit a hundred crimes and still live a long time, yet I know that it will go well with God-fearing people– for they stand in fear before him.
  • Eccl 8:15 : 15 Enjoy Life In Spite of Its Injustices So I recommend the enjoyment of life, for there is nothing better on earth for a person to do except to eat, drink, and enjoy life. So joy will accompany him in his toil during the days of his life which God gives him on earth.
  • Eccl 12:1-5 : 1 Fear God Now Because Old Age and Death Come Quickly So remember your Creator in the days of your youth– before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you will say,“I have no pleasure in them”; 2 before the sun and the light of the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds disappear after the rain; 3 when those who keep watch over the house begin to tremble, and the virile men begin to stoop over, and the grinders begin to cease because they grow few, and those who look through the windows grow dim, 4 and the doors along the street are shut; when the sound of the grinding mill grows low, and one is awakened by the sound of a bird, and all their songs grow faint, 5 and they are afraid of heights and the dangers in the street; the almond blossoms grow white, and the grasshopper drags itself along, and the caper berry shrivels up– because man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about in the streets–
  • Jer 13:16 : 16 Show the LORD your God the respect that is due him. Do it before he brings the darkness of disaster. Do it before you stumble into distress like a traveler on the mountains at twilight. Do it before he turns the light of deliverance you hope for into the darkness and gloom of exile.
  • Joel 2:2 : 2 It will be a day of dreadful darkness, a day of foreboding storm clouds, like blackness spread over the mountains. It is a huge and powerful army– there has never been anything like it ever before, and there will not be anything like it for many generations to come!
  • Matt 22:13 : 13 Then the king said to his attendants,‘Tie him up hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!’
  • John 12:35 : 35 Jesus replied,“The light is with you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.
  • Jude 1:18 : 18 For they said to you,“In the end time there will come scoffers, propelled by their own ungodly desires.”

Similar Verses (AI)

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

  • Eccl 11:9-10
    2 verses
    83%

    9Enjoy 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.

    10Banish emotional stress from your mind. and put away pain from your body; for youth and the prime of life are fleeting.

  • Eccl 11:7
    80%

    7Life Should Be Enjoyed Because Death is Inevitable Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for a person to see the sun.

  • Eccl 6:11-12
    2 verses
    79%

    11The more one argues with words, the less he accomplishes. How does that benefit him?

    12For no one knows what is best for a person during his life– during the few days of his fleeting life– for they pass away like a shadow. Nor can anyone tell him what the future will hold for him on earth.

  • Eccl 12:8
    78%

    8Concluding Refrain: Qoheleth Restates His Thesis“Absolutely futile!” laments the Teacher,“All of these things are futile!”

  • Eccl 8:14-15
    2 verses
    78%

    14Here is another enigma that occurs on earth: Sometimes there are righteous people who get what the wicked deserve, and sometimes there are wicked people who get what the righteous deserve. I said,“This also is an enigma.”

    15Enjoy Life In Spite of Its Injustices So I recommend the enjoyment of life, for there is nothing better on earth for a person to do except to eat, drink, and enjoy life. So joy will accompany him in his toil during the days of his life which God gives him on earth.

  • Eccl 2:21-24
    4 verses
    78%

    21For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; however, he must hand over the fruit of his labor as an inheritance to someone else who did not work for it. This also is futile, and an awful injustice!

    22Painful Days and Restless Nights What does a man acquire from all his labor and from the anxiety that accompanies his toil on earth?

    23For all day long his work produces pain and frustration, and even at night his mind cannot relax! This also is futile!

    24Enjoy Work and its Benefits There is nothing better for people than to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in their work. I also perceived that this ability to find enjoyment comes from God.

  • Eccl 5:16-18
    3 verses
    77%

    16This is another misfortune: Just as he came, so will he go. What did he gain from toiling for the wind?

    17Surely, he ate in darkness every day of his life, and he suffered greatly with sickness and anger.

    18Enjoy 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.

  • Eccl 12:1-2
    2 verses
    77%

    1Fear God Now Because Old Age and Death Come Quickly So remember your Creator in the days of your youth– before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you will say,“I have no pleasure in them”;

    2before the sun and the light of the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds disappear after the rain;

  • Eccl 7:14-15
    2 verses
    77%

    14In times of prosperity be joyful, but in times of adversity consider this: God has made one as well as the other, so that no one can discover what the future holds.

    15Exceptions to the Law of Retribution During the days of my fleeting life I have seen both of these things: Sometimes a righteous person dies prematurely in spite of his righteousness, and sometimes a wicked person lives long in spite of his evil deeds.

  • Eccl 4:16
    77%

    16There is no end to all the people nor to the past generations, yet future generations will not rejoice in him. This also is profitless and like chasing the wind.

  • Eccl 5:20
    77%

    20For he does not think much about the fleeting days of his life because God keeps him preoccupied with the joy he derives from his activity.

  • Eccl 6:3-6
    4 verses
    77%

    3Even 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!”

    4Though the stillborn child came into the world for no reason and departed into darkness, though its name is shrouded in darkness,

    5though it never saw the light of day nor knew anything, yet it has more rest than that man–

    6if he should live a thousand years twice, yet does not enjoy his prosperity. For both of them die!

  • Eccl 9:9
    76%

    9Enjoy life with your beloved wife during all the days of your fleeting life that God has given you on earth during all your fleeting days; for that is your reward in life and in your burdensome work on earth.

  • Eccl 2:16-17
    2 verses
    76%

    16For the wise man, like the fool, will not be remembered for very long, because in the days to come, both will already have been forgotten. Alas, the wise man dies– just like the fool!

    17So I loathed life because what happens on earth seems awful to me; for all the benefits of wisdom are futile– like chasing the wind.

  • Eccl 3:12
    76%

    12Enjoy Life in the Present I have concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they live,

  • Eccl 3:22
    75%

    22So I perceived there is nothing better than for people to enjoy their work, because that is their reward; for who can show them what the future holds?

  • Ps 144:4
    75%

    4People are like a vapor, their days like a shadow that disappears.

  • Eccl 2:11
    75%

    11Yet when I reflected on everything I had accomplished and on all the effort that I had expended to accomplish it, I concluded:“All these achievements and possessions are ultimately profitless– like chasing the wind! There is nothing gained from them on earth.”

  • Eccl 8:10
    75%

    10Contradictions to the Law of Retribution Not only that, but I have seen the wicked approaching and entering the temple, and as they left the holy temple, they boasted in the city that they had done so. This also is an enigma.

  • Eccl 8:6
    75%

    6For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, for the oppression of the king is severe upon his victim.

  • Eccl 2:19
    75%

    19Who knows if he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will be master over all the fruit of my labor for which I worked so wisely on earth! This also is futile!

  • Eccl 1:2-3
    2 verses
    74%

    2Introduction: Utter Futility“Futile! Futile!” laments the Teacher,“Absolutely futile! Everything is futile!”

    3Futility Illustrated from Nature What benefit do people get from all the effort which they expend on earth?

  • Eccl 1:14
    74%

    14I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man on earth, and I concluded: Everything he has accomplished is futile– like chasing the wind!

  • Eccl 4:3
    74%

    3But better than both is the one who has not been born and has not seen the evil things that are done on earth.

  • Eccl 7:2
    74%

    2It is better to go to a funeral than a feast. For death is the destiny of every person, and the living should take this to heart.

  • Eccl 6:9
    74%

    9It is better to be content with what the eyes can see than for one’s heart always to crave more. This continual longing is futile– like chasing the wind.

  • Eccl 2:1
    73%

    1Futility of Self-Indulgent Pleasure I thought to myself,“Come now, I will try self-indulgent pleasure to see if it is worthwhile.” But I found that it also is futile.

  • Ps 39:6
    73%

    6Surely people go through life as mere ghosts. Surely they accumulate worthless wealth without knowing who will eventually haul it away.”

  • Eccl 2:14
    73%

    14The wise man can see where he is going, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also realized that the same fate happens to them both.

  • Eccl 9:3
    73%

    3This is the unfortunate fact about everything that happens on earth: the same fate awaits everyone. In addition to this, the hearts of all people are full of evil, and there is folly in their hearts during their lives– then they die.

  • Eccl 2:26
    73%

    26For to the one who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner, he gives the task of amassing wealth– only to give it to the one who pleases God. This task of the wicked is futile– like chasing the wind!

  • Eccl 4:7-8
    2 verses
    73%

    7Labor Motivated by Greed So I again considered another futile thing on earth:

    8A man who is all alone with no companion, he has no children nor siblings; yet there is no end to all his toil, and he is never satisfied with riches. He laments,“For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is futile and a burdensome task!

  • Eccl 8:17
    73%

    17then I discerned all that God has done: No one really comprehends what happens on earth. Despite all human efforts to discover it, no one can ever grasp it. Even if a wise person claimed that he understood, he would not really comprehend it.

  • Eccl 3:19
    72%

    19For the fate of humans and the fate of animals are the same: As one dies, so dies the other; both have the same breath. There is no advantage for humans over animals, for both are fleeting.