Parallel Verses
A Conservative Version
And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have 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.
New American Standard Bible
And who knows whether he will be a wise man or
King James Version
And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.
Holman Bible
And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool?
International Standard Version
And who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? Either way, he will take possession of everything that I have done on earth, especially where I have excelled. This also is pointless.
American Standard Version
And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he have rule over all my labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
Amplified
And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity (futility, self-conceit).
Bible in Basic English
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.
Darby Translation
And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour at which I have laboured, and wherein I have been wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
Julia Smith Translation
And who shall know whether he shall be wise or foolish? And he shall have dominion over all my labor which I labored, and was wise under the sun. Also this is vanity.
King James 2000
And who knows whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.
Lexham Expanded Bible
And who knows [whether] he will be wise or foolish? Yet he will exercise control of all [the fruit of] my toil with which I toiled wisely under the sun. This also [is] vanity!
Modern King James verseion
And who knows whether he shall be wise or a fool? Yet he shall have rule over all my labor in which I have labored, and acted wisely under the sun. This is also vanity.
Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale
For who knoweth, whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? And yet shall he be lord of all my labours, which I with such wisdom have taken under the Sun. Is not this a vain thing?
NET Bible
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!
New Heart English Bible
Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
The Emphasized Bible
and who could know whether a, wise man, he would be or a foolish, and yet he would lord it over all my toil, wherein I had toiled and wherein I had acted wisely, under the sun, - even this, was vanity.
Webster
And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have showed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.
World English Bible
Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
Youngs Literal Translation
And who knoweth whether he is wise or foolish? yet he doth rule over all my labour that I have laboured at, and that I have done wisely under the sun! this also is vanity.
Interlinear
Yada`
Chakam
`amal
Chakam
References
Fausets
Word Count of 20 Translations in Ecclesiastes 2:19
Verse Info
Context Readings
Is There Real Happiness In Life?
18 And I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who shall be after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have 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. 20 Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun.
Names
Cross References
Ecclesiastes 3:22
Therefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works, for that is his portion. For who shall bring him [back] to see what shall be after him?
1 Kings 12:14-20
and spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
1 Kings 14:25-28
And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 10:13-16
And the king answered them roughly. And king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men,
2 Chronicles 12:9-10
So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of LORD, and the treasures of the king's house; he took all away. He also took away the shields of gold which Solomon had made.
Ecclesiastes 9:13
I have also seen wisdom under the sun this way, and it seemed great to me:
Luke 16:8
And his lord commended the unrighteous manager because he did shrewdly. Because the sons of this age are shrewder in their own generation than the sons of the light.
James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect endowment is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation nor shadow of turning.
James 3:17
But the wisdom from above is indeed first pure, then peaceful, meek, easily entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and non-hypocritical.