Parallel Verses

King James 2000

For God gives to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he gives the work of gathering and heaping up, only that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping of the wind.

New American Standard Bible

For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind.

King James Version

For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Holman Bible

For to the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and accumulating in order to give to the one who is pleasing in God’s sight. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

International Standard Version

After all, to the person who is good in God's sight, he gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner he gives the troublesome task of acquiring and accumulating in order to leave it to someone who is good in the sight of God. This also is pointless and chasing after the wind.

A Conservative Version

For to the man who pleases him [God] gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

American Standard Version

For to the man that pleaseth him God giveth wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that pleaseth God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

Amplified

For to the person who pleases Him God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who pleases God. This too is vanity and chasing after the wind.

Bible in Basic English

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.

Darby Translation

For he giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he giveth travail to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good in God's sight. This also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

Julia Smith Translation

For to a man good before his face, he gave wisdom and knowledge and gladness: and to him sinning, he gave labor, to gather and to heap up, to give to the good one before the face of God. Also this is vanity and the striving of the spirit.

Lexham Expanded Bible

For to the person who [is] good in his eyes, he gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and heaping up only to give [it] to [him who is] pleasing to him. This also [is] vanity and chasing wind!

Modern King James verseion

For God gives wisdom, and knowledge, and joy to a man who is good in His sight. But to the sinner He gives labor, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale

He giveth unto man, what it pleaseth him; whether it be wisdom, understanding, or gladness. But unto the sinner he giveth weariness and sorrow, that he may gather and heap together the thing, that afterward shall be given unto him whom it pleaseth God. This is now a vain thing, yea a very disquietness and vexation of mind.

NET Bible

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!

New Heart English Bible

For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

The Emphasized Bible

For, to a man who is good before him, hath he given wisdom and knowledge and gladness, - whereas, to the sinner, he hath given employment, to gather and heap up, to give to one who is good before God, even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.

Webster

For God giveth to a man who is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth toil, to gather, and to amass, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

World English Bible

For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

Youngs Literal Translation

For to a man who is good before Him, He hath given wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; and to a sinner He hath given travail, to gather and to heap up, to give to the good before God. Even this is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Interlinear

English(KJV)
Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage
נתן 
Nathan 
Usage: 2011

to a man
אדם 
'adam 
Usage: 541

in his sight
פּנים 
Paniym 
Usage: 2119

חכמה 
Chokmah 
Usage: 149

and knowledge
דּעת 
Da`ath 
Usage: 91

and joy
שׂמחה 
Simchah 
Usage: 93

he giveth
נתן 
Nathan 
Usage: 2011

ענין 
`inyan 
Usage: 8

to gather
אסף 
'acaph 
Usage: 199

and to heap up
כּנס 
Kanac 
Usage: 11

נתן 
Nathan 
Usage: 2011

פּנים 
Paniym 
Usage: 2119

God
אלהים 
'elohiym 
Usage: 2600

הבל הבל 
hebel 
Usage: 73

and vexation
רעוּת 
R@`uwth 
Usage: 7

References

Hastings

Context Readings

Is There Real Happiness In Life?

25 For who can eat, or who else can have enjoyment, more than I? 26 For God gives to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he gives the work of gathering and heaping up, only that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping of the wind.

Cross References

Proverbs 13:22

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children: but the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.

Job 27:16-17

Though he heap up silver as the dust, and pile up clothing as the clay;

John 16:24

Until now have you asked nothing in my name: ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.

Genesis 7:1

And the LORD said unto Noah, Come you and all your house into the ark; for you have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

2 Chronicles 31:20-21

And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and did that which was good and right and true before the LORD his God.

Job 32:8

But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty gives him understanding.

Proverbs 3:13-18

Happy is the man that finds wisdom, and the man that gets understanding.

Proverbs 28:8

He that by usury and unjust gain increases his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.

Ecclesiastes 1:14

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and like grasping the wind.

Isaiah 3:10-11

Say you to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.

Luke 1:6

And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

Romans 14:17-18

For the kingdom of God is not food and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 1:30-31

And of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Colossians 1:9-12

For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

Colossians 3:16-17

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

James 3:17

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

King James Version Public Domain

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.

International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.

New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org

American Standard Version Public Domain

NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. NetBible

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain