Parallel Verses

NET Bible

Even 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!"

New American Standard Bible

If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper burial, then I say, “Better the miscarriage than he,

King James Version

If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.

Holman Bible

A man may father a hundred children and live many years. No matter how long he lives, if he is not satisfied by good things and does not even have a proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.

International Standard Version

A man might father a hundred children, and live for many years, so that the length of his life is long but if his life does not overflow with goodness, and he doesn't receive a proper burial, I maintain that stillborn children are better off than he is,

A Conservative Version

If a man begets a hundred sons, and lives many years so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with good, and moreover he has no burial, I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.

American Standard Version

If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul be not filled with good, and moreover he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he:

Amplified

If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they may be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he is not respected and is not given a proper burial [he is not laid to rest in the sepulcher of his fathers], then I say, “Better the miscarriage than he,

Bible in Basic English

If a man has a hundred children, and his life is long so that the days of his years are great in number, but his soul takes no pleasure in good, and he is not honoured at his death; I say that a birth before its time is better than he.

Darby Translation

If a man beget a hundred sons, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, but his soul be not filled with good, and also he have no burial, I say an untimely birth is better than he.

Julia Smith Translation

If a man shall beget a hundred, and live many years, and a multitude shall be the days of his years, and his soul shall not be satisfied from good, and also there was no burial to him; I said, Good above him an abortion.

King James 2000

If a man begets a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, and his soul is not filled with good, and also that he has no burial; I say, that a stillborn birth is better than he.

Lexham Expanded Bible

Even if a man fathers a hundred [children] and lives many years so that the days of his years are many, if his heart is not satisfied with {his prosperity} and {he does not receive a proper burial}, I deem the stillborn better than him.

Modern King James verseion

If a man fathers a hundred, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, and his soul is not filled with good, and also is for him no burial; I say, a miscarriage is better than he.

Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale

If a man beget a hundredth children, and live many years, so that his days are many in number, and yet cannot enjoy his good, neither be buried: as for him I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.

New Heart English Bible

If a man fathers a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with good, and moreover he has no burial; I say, that a stillborn child is better than he:

The Emphasized Bible

Though a man should beget a hundred children, and live, many years, so that many should be the days of his years but, his own soul, should not be satisfied with the good, and he should not even have, a burial, I said, Better than he, is an untimely birth!

Webster

If a man begetteth a hundred children, and liveth many years, so that the days of his years are many, and his soul is not filled with good, and also that he hath no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.

World English Bible

If a man fathers a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with good, and moreover he has no burial; I say, that a stillborn child is better than he:

Youngs Literal Translation

If a man doth beget a hundred, and live many years, and is great, because they are the days of his years, and his soul is not satisfied from the goodness, and also he hath not had a grave, I have said, 'Better than he is the untimely birth.'

Interlinear

English(KJV)
Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage
If a man
אישׁ 
'iysh 
Usage: 692

ילד 
Yalad 
Usage: 497

an hundred
מאיה מאה 
me'ah 
Usage: 581

children, and live
חיה 
Chayah 
Usage: 264

רב 
Rab 
Usage: 458

שׁנה שׁנה 
Shaneh (in pl. only), 
year, not translated, yearly, yearly + , year , live , old ,
Usage: 811

so that the days
יום 
Yowm 
Usage: 2293

of his years
שׁנה שׁנה 
Shaneh (in pl. only), 
year, not translated, yearly, yearly + , year , live , old ,
Usage: 811

be many
רב 
Rab 
Usage: 458

and his soul
נפשׁ 
Nephesh 
Usage: 753

be not filled
שׂבע שׂבע 
Saba` 
Usage: 98

and also that he have no burial
קברה קבוּרה 
Q@buwrah 
Usage: 14

I say

Usage: 0

נפל נפל 
Nephel 
Usage: 3

References

American

Context Readings

Those Who Have Wealth But Do Not Enjoy It Are Pitiful

2 God gives a man riches, property, and wealth so that he lacks nothing that his heart desires, yet God does not enable him to enjoy the fruit of his labor -- instead, someone else enjoys it! This is fruitless and a grave misfortune. 3 Even 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!" 4 Though the stillborn child came into the world for no reason and departed into darkness, though its name is shrouded in darkness,


Cross References

Job 3:16

Or why was I not buried like a stillborn infant, like infants who have never seen the light?

Ecclesiastes 4:3

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

Jeremiah 22:19

He will be left unburied just like a dead donkey. His body will be dragged off and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem.'"

Genesis 47:9

Jacob said to Pharaoh, "All the years of my travels are 130. All the years of my life have been few and painful; the years of my travels are not as long as those of my ancestors."

2 Kings 9:35

But when they went to bury her, they found nothing left but the skull, feet, and palms of the hands.

Genesis 33:5

When Esau looked up and saw the women and the children, he asked, "Who are these people with you?" Jacob replied, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant."

1 Samuel 2:20-21

Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife saying, "May the Lord raise up for you descendants from this woman to replace the one that she dedicated to the Lord." Then they would go to their home.

2 Kings 10:1

Ahab had seventy sons living in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the leading officials of Jezreel and to the guardians of Ahab's dynasty. This is what the letters said,

1 Chronicles 28:5

From all the many sons the Lord has given me, he chose Solomon my son to rule on his behalf over Israel.

2 Chronicles 11:21

Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than his other wives and concubines. He had eighteen wives and sixty concubines; he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

Esther 5:11

Haman then recounted to them his fabulous wealth, his many sons, and how the king had magnified him and exalted him over the king's other officials and servants.

Esther 7:10

So they hanged Haman on the very gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. The king's rage then abated.

Esther 9:14-15

So the king issued orders for this to be done. A law was passed in Susa, and the ten sons of Haman were hanged.

Psalm 58:8

Let them be like a snail that melts away as it moves along! Let them be like stillborn babies that never see the sun!

Psalm 127:4-5

Sons born during one's youth are like arrows in a warrior's hand.

Proverbs 17:6

Grandchildren are like a crown to the elderly, and the glory of children is their parents.

Ecclesiastes 5:17-19

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

Isaiah 14:19-20

But you have been thrown out of your grave like a shoot that is thrown away. You lie among the slain, among those who have been slashed by the sword, among those headed for the stones of the pit, as if you were a mangled corpse.

Jeremiah 8:2

They will be spread out and exposed to the sun, the moon and the stars. These are things they adored and served, things to which they paid allegiance, from which they sought guidance, and worshiped. The bones of these people will never be regathered and reburied. They will be like manure used to fertilize the ground.

Jeremiah 36:30

So the Lord says concerning King Jehoiakim of Judah, "None of his line will occupy the throne of David. His dead body will be thrown out to be exposed to scorching heat by day and frost by night.

Matthew 26:24

The Son of Man will go as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if he had never been born."

King James Version Public Domain

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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