'Purpose' in the Bible
All is to no purpose, said the Preacher, all the ways of man are to no purpose.
I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.
I said in my heart, I will give you joy for a test; so take your pleasure--but it was to no purpose.
Then I saw all the works which my hands had made, and everything I had been working to do; and I saw that all was to no purpose and desire for wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
Then said I in my heart: As it comes to the foolish man, so will it come to me; so why have I been wise overmuch? Then I said in my heart: This again is to no purpose.
So I was hating life, because everything under the sun was evil to me: all is to no purpose and desire for wind.
And who is to say if that man will be wise or foolish? But he will have power over all my work which I have done and in which I have been wise under the sun. This again is to no purpose.
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.
All his days are sorrow, and his work is full of grief. Even in the night his heart has no rest. This again is to no purpose.
To the man with whom he is pleased, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of getting goods together and storing up wealth, to give to him in whom God has pleasure. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]—yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end.
I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
Because the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts is the same. As is the death of one so is the death of the other, and all have one spirit. Man is not higher than the beasts; because all is to no purpose.
And I saw that the cause of all the work and of everything which is done well was man's envy of his neighbour. This again is to no purpose and a desire for wind.
Then I came back, and I saw an example of what is to no purpose under the sun.
It is one who is by himself, without a second, and without son or brother; but there is no end to all his work, and he has never enough of wealth. For whom, then, am I working and keeping myself from pleasure? This again is to no purpose, and a bitter work.
There was no end of all the people, of all those whose head he was, but they who come later will have no delight in him. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.
Because much talk comes from dreams and things of no purpose. But let the fear of God be in you.
He who has a love for silver never has enough silver, or he who has love for wealth, enough profit. This again is to no purpose.
A man to whom God gives money, wealth, and honour so that he has all his desires but God does not give him the power to have joy of it, and a strange man takes it. This is to no purpose and an evil disease.
What the eyes see is better than the wandering of desire. This is to no purpose and a desire for wind.
There are words without number for increasing what is to no purpose, but what is man profited by them?
Like the cracking of thorns under a pot, so is the laugh of a foolish man; and this again is to no purpose.
These two have I seen in my life which is to no purpose: a good man coming to his end in his righteousness, and an evil man whose days are long in his evil-doing.
Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.
And then I saw evil men put to rest, taken even from the holy place; and they went about and were praised in the town because of what they had done. This again is to no purpose.
There is a thing which is to no purpose done on the earth: that there are good men to whom is given the same punishment as those who are evil, and there are evil men who get the reward of the good. I say that this again is to no purpose.
All this I took to heart, and my heart saw it all: that the upright and the wise and their works are in the hand of God; and men may not be certain if it will be love or hate; all is to no purpose before them.
Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all, and let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything that is to come will be futility.
So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.
All things are to no purpose, says the Preacher, all is to no purpose.
When all has been heard, the end of the matter is: fear God [worship Him with awe-filled reverence, knowing that He is almighty God] and keep His commandments, for this applies to every person.
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Related Words
Bible Theasaurus
- Aim (30 instances)
- Design (99 instances)
- Determination (8 instances)
- Function (10 instances)
- Intent (65 instances)
- Intention (33 instances)
- Propose (5 instances)
- Purport (1 instance)
- Purpose (564 instances)
- Resolve (13 instances)
- Role (7 instances)
Reverse Interlinear
Zimmah
Chephets
Chashab
Ya`ats
Yatsar
Machashabah
`etsah
Related Readings
Related Topics
- Adversity, Purpose Of
- Afflictions, Purpose Of
- Anointing, Medical Purpose
- Ark Of The Covenant, Purpose
- Divine Purposes
- Enjoying Life
- Everything Happening For A Reason
- Examples, Purpose Of
- Futility Of Worldly Pursuits
- God's Timing
- God, Purpose Of
- Gods Timing
- Holiness, Purpose Of
- Imperfection, And God's Purposes
- Inspiration Of The Holy Spirit, Purpose Of
- Law, Purpose Of
- Leisure, Nature And Purpose Of
- Life Purpose
- Life's Purpose
- Man's Purposes
- Marriage, Purpose Of
- Purpose
- Scripture, Purpose Of
- Second Coming Of Christ, The Purpose
- Seven Days For Legal Purposes
- Spiritual Gifts, Purpose Of
- Success And Hard Work
- Time Passing
- Under The Sun
- Useless Endeavour
- Vanity
- Doctrine, Purpose of
- Striving