Parallel Verses

New American Standard Bible

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.

King James Version

But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.

Holman Bible

Indeed, if a man lives many years,
let him rejoice in them all,
and let him remember the days of darkness, since they will be many.
All that comes is futile.

International Standard Version

Even if a person lives many years, let him enjoy them all, recalling that there will be many days of darkness to come all of which are pointless.

A Conservative Version

Yea, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.

American Standard Version

Yea, if a man live many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.

Amplified

Yes, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. All that is to come will be futility.

Bible in Basic English

But even if a man's life is long and he has joy in all his years, let him keep in mind the dark days, because they will be great in number. Whatever may come is to no purpose.

Darby Translation

but if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all, yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many: all that cometh is vanity.

Julia Smith Translation

If man shall live many years, in them all shall he rejoice; and he shall remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. All coming is vanity.

King James 2000

But if a man lives many years, and rejoices in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.

Lexham Expanded Bible

For if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in all of them! Let him remember that the days of the darkness will be many-- all that is coming [is] vanity!

Modern King James verseion

but if a man lives many years, and rejoices in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.

Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale

If a man live many years, and be glad in them all, let him remember the days of darkness, which shall be many: And when they come, all things shall be but vanity.

NET Bible

So, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all, but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many -- all that is about to come is obscure.

New Heart English Bible

Yes, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.

The Emphasized Bible

But, though, many years, a man live, through them all, let him rejoice; yet let him remember the days of darkness, for many they may be, all that cometh, may be vanity.

Webster

But if a man shall live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.

World English Bible

Yes, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.

Youngs Literal Translation

But, if man liveth many years, In all of them let him rejoice, And remember the days of darkness, For they are many! all that is coming is vanity.

Interlinear

English(KJV)
Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage
But if a man
אדם 
'adam 
Usage: 541

חיה 
Chayah 
Usage: 264

רבה 
Rabah 
Usage: 224

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

and rejoice
שׂמח 
Samach 
Usage: 155

the days
יום 
Yowm 
Usage: 2293

חשׁך 
Choshek 
Usage: 78


come, bring, ... in, enter, go, carry, ...down, pass, ...out,
Usage: 0

Prayers for Ecclesiastes 11:8

Context Readings

Enjoy Life To The Fullest Within The Auspices Of The Fear Of God

7 The light is pleasant, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun. 8 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. 9 Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.

Cross References

Deuteronomy 32:29

Would that they were wise, that they understood this,
That they would discern their future!

Job 10:22

The land of utter gloom as darkness itself,
Of deep shadow without order,
And which shines as the darkness.”

Job 14:10

“But man dies and lies prostrate.
Man expires, and where is he?

Job 15:23

“He wanders about for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’
He knows that a day of darkness is at hand.

Job 18:18

He is driven from light into darkness,
And chased from the inhabited world.

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself.” And behold, it too was futility.

Ecclesiastes 2:15

Then I said to myself, “As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me. Why then have I been extremely wise?” So I said to myself, “This too is vanity.”

Ecclesiastes 2:17

So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.

Ecclesiastes 2:19

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.

Ecclesiastes 2:21-23

When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives his legacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil.

Ecclesiastes 2:26

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.

Ecclesiastes 3:12-13

I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime;

Ecclesiastes 4:8

There was a certain man without a dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, “And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?” This too is vanity and it is a grievous task.

Ecclesiastes 4:16

There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him, for this too is vanity and striving after wind.

Ecclesiastes 5:15-16

As he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand.

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20

Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward.

Ecclesiastes 6:6

Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice and does not enjoy good things—do not all go to one place?”

Ecclesiastes 6:11

For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man?

Ecclesiastes 7:14

In the day of prosperity be happy,
But in the day of adversity consider—
God has made the one as well as the other
So that man will not discover anything that will be after him.

Ecclesiastes 8:12

Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life, still I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly.

Ecclesiastes 8:15

So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to be merry, and this will stand by him in his toils throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 12:1-5

Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no delight in them”;

Jeremiah 13:16

Give glory to the Lord your God,
Before He brings darkness
And before your feet stumble
On the dusky mountains,
And while you are hoping for light
He makes it into deep darkness,
And turns it into gloom.

Joel 2:2

A day of darkness and gloom,
A day of clouds and thick darkness.
As the dawn is spread over the mountains,
So there is a great and mighty people;
There has never been anything like it,
Nor will there be again after it
To the years of many generations.

Matthew 22:13

Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

John 12:35

So Jesus said to them, For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.

Jude 1:18

that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.”

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