Verse 21

For 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.

Other Translations

• GT, oversatt fra Hebraisk

  For det finnes en mann som arbeider med visdom, kunnskap og dyktighet, men han etterlater det til en annen som ikke har jobbet med det. Også dette er tomhet og et stort onde.

• Moderne oversettelse av Bibelen fra 1611 KJV med hebraisk kontekst

  For det er en mann som arbeider med visdom, kunnskap og dyktighet; men til en mann som ikke har arbeidet for det, må han gi det som sin del. Dette er også tomhet og et stort onde.

• Norsk King James

  For det er en mann hvis arbeid er i visdom, kunnskap, og rettferdighet; selv til en mann som ikke har arbeidet, vil han etterlate det som sin arv. Dette er også tomt og en stor ondskap.

• Modernisert Norsk Bibel 1866

  For her er et menneske som arbeider med visdom, kunnskap og dyktighet, men må gi det til en annen som ikke har arbeidet for det; også dette er tomhet og en stor ulykke.

• Oversettelse av hebraiske Bibeltekster til moderne norsk bokmål

  For det er et menneske som arbeider med visdom, kunnskap og dyktighet, men gir sin del til et annet menneske som ikke har arbeidet for det. Også dette er forgjeves og en stor ondskap.

• Bibelen: En Moderne Oversettelse av King James Version 1611

  For det finnes en mann hvis arbeid er gjort med visdom, kunnskap og dyktighet; likevel må han la det til en annen, som ikke har strevd for det, som sin del. Også dette er forgjeves og et stort onde.

• o3-mini KJV Norsk

  For det finnes en mann hvis arbeid bygger på visdom, kunnskap og rettferdighet; likevel vil han overlate resultatet til den som ikke har strevd, slik at det blir hans del. Dette er også tomhet og en stor urett.

• En Moderne Oversettelse av King James Version 1611 (mar 2025)

  For det finnes en mann hvis arbeid er gjort med visdom, kunnskap og dyktighet; likevel må han la det til en annen, som ikke har strevd for det, som sin del. Også dette er forgjeves og et stort onde.

• Lingvistisk bibeloversettelse fra grunntekst

  For det er en mann som arbeider med visdom, kunnskap og dyktighet, men gir det til en som ikke har arbeidet med det. Også dette er tomhet og en stor ulykke.

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  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.

• biblecontext

  { "verseID": "Ecclesiastes.2.21", "source": "כִּי־יֵ֣שׁ אָדָ֗ם שֶׁעֲמָל֛וֹ בְּחָכְמָ֥ה וּבְדַ֖עַת וּבְכִשְׁר֑וֹן וּלְאָדָ֞ם שֶׁלֹּ֤א עָֽמַל־בּוֹ֙ יִתְּנֶ֣נּוּ חֶלְק֔וֹ גַּם־זֶ֥ה הֶ֖בֶל וְרָעָ֥ה רַבָּֽה׃", "text": "Because-there is *ʾādām* *sheʿămālô* in *ḥokmāh* and in *daʿat* and in *kishrôn* and to *ʾādām* *shellōʾ* *ʿāmal*-in it *yittĕnennû* *ḥelqô* also-this *hebel* and *rāʿāh* *rabbâ*.", "grammar": { "*ʾādām*": "masculine singular noun - man/person", "*sheʿămālô*": "relative particle + masculine singular noun + 3rd masculine singular suffix - whose labor", "*ḥokmāh*": "feminine singular noun with prefixed preposition - with wisdom", "*daʿat*": "feminine singular noun with prefixed preposition - with knowledge", "*kishrôn*": "masculine singular noun with prefixed preposition - with skill", "*ʾādām*": "masculine singular noun with prefixed preposition - to a person", "*shellōʾ*": "relative particle + negative particle - who did not", "*ʿāmal*": "perfect, 3rd masculine singular - he labored", "*yittĕnennû*": "imperfect, 3rd masculine singular + 3rd masculine singular suffix - he will give it", "*ḥelqô*": "masculine singular noun + 3rd masculine singular suffix - his portion", "*hebel*": "masculine singular noun - vapor/vanity", "*rāʿāh*": "feminine singular adjective - evil", "*rabbâ*": "feminine singular adjective - great" }, "variants": { "*ʾādām sheʿămālô*": "a person whose labor/a man who works", "*ḥokmāh ûbĕdaʿat ûbĕkishrôn*": "with wisdom and knowledge and skill", "*ʾādām shellōʾ ʿāmal-bô*": "to a person who has not labored at it", "*yittĕnennû ḥelqô*": "he must give it as his share/portion", "*hebel*": "vapor/breath/emptiness/vanity/futility/meaninglessness", "*rāʿāh rabbâ*": "great evil/great misfortune/great misery" } }

• GT, oversatt fra hebraisk Aug2024

  For det er en mann hvis arbeid er med visdom og kunnskap og dyktighet; likevel gir han sitt resultat til en mann som ikke har arbeidet med det. Dette er også forgjengelig og en stor ondskap.

• Original Norsk Bibel 1866

  Thi der er et Menneske, hvis Arbeide er med Viisdom og med Kundskab og med Redelighed; dog maa han give et Menneske det til sin Deel, som intet haver arbeidet derudi; dette er og Forfængelighed og en stor Ulykke.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

• KJV 1769 norsk

  For det er en mann som arbeider med visdom, kunnskap og dyktighet, men likevel gir han sin del til en som ikke har arbeidet med det. Også dette er forgjengelig og en stor ulykke.

• Norsk oversettelse av Webster

  For det er en mann hvis arbeid er med visdom, med kunnskap og med dyktighet; likevel må han la det bli del av en som ikke har arbeidet for det. Også dette er tomhet og en stor ondskap.

• Norsk oversettelse av Youngs Literal Translation

  For det finnes en mann som arbeider med visdom, og kunnskap, og klokskap, men til en annen som ikke har strevd for det gir han sin del! Også dette er forgjeves og en stor urett.

• Norsk oversettelse av ASV1901

  For det er en mann hvis arbeid er med visdom, med kunnskap og med dyktighet; likevel skal han overlate det til en annen som ikke har strevd med det. Dette er også forgjeves og et stort onde.

• Norsk oversettelse av BBE

  For det finnes en mann hvis arbeid har blitt gjort med visdom, kunnskap og dyktighet; men en som ikke har gjort noe for det vil arve det. Dette er også forgjeves og en stor ondskap.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  for so moch as a man shulde weery him self with wy?dome, with vnderstondinge and opportunite, and yet be fayne to leaue his labours vnto another, yt neuer swett for them. This is also a vayne thinge and a greate misery.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  For there is a man whose trauaile is in wisdome, and in knowledge and in equitie: yet to a man that hath not trauailed herein, shal he giue his portion: this also is vanitie and a great griefe.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Forsomuch as a man shoulde weery hym selfe with wisdome, with vnderstandyng and oportunitie, and yet be fayne to leaue his labours vnto another that neuer sweat for them: This is also a vayne thyng, and great miserie.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  For there is a man whose labour [is] in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it [for] his portion. This also [is] vanity and a great evil.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  For there is a man whose labour `is' in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity, and to a man who hath not laboured therein he giveth it -- his portion! Even this `is' vanity and a great evil.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skilfulness; yet to a man that hath not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  Because there is a man whose work has been done with wisdom, with knowledge, and with an expert hand; but one who has done nothing for it will have it for his heritage. This again is to no purpose and a great evil.

• World English Bible (2000)

  For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  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!

Referenced Verses

• Eccl 2:17-18 : 17 Therefore I hated life, because the work that was done under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. 18 Yes, 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.
• Eccl 9:18 : 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.
• Jer 22:15 : 15 Shall you reign, because you enclose yourself in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him?
• Jer 22:17 : 17 But your eyes and your heart are set only on your covetousness, and on shedding innocent blood, and on oppression, and on violence, to do it.
• 2 Chr 31:20-21 : 20 And so did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and did what was good and right and true before the LORD his God. 21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
• 2 Chr 33:2-9 : 2 But he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, like the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; he erected altars for Baal, made groves, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 He also built altars in the house of the LORD, where the LORD had said, 'In Jerusalem shall my name be forever.' 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. 6 And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom; also he observed times, used enchantments, used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit and with wizards; he did much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. 7 And he set a carved image, the idol he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and Solomon his son, 'In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name forever.' 8 And I will no longer remove the foot of Israel from the land which I appointed for your fathers, if only they will be careful to do all that I have commanded them according to the whole law and statutes and ordinances by the hand of Moses. 9 So Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, to do worse than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.
• 2 Chr 34:2 : 2 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and turned aside neither to the right hand nor to the left.
• 2 Chr 35:18 : 18 There had been no Passover like that kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet; nor did any of the kings of Israel keep such a Passover as Josiah kept, with the priests, the Levites, all Judah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
• 2 Chr 36:5-9 : 5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and he did evil in the sight of the LORD his God. 6 Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in chains, to carry him to Babylon. 7 Nebuchadnezzar also took some of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and placed them in his temple at Babylon. 8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and what was found against him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place. 9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem; and he did evil in the sight of the LORD. 10 And when the year was expired, King Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon, with the precious vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah, his brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem.