Ecclesiastes 2:19 “And who knows whether that man will be wise or foolish? Yet he will ta…”

Ecclesiastes 2:19

And who knows whether that man will be wise or foolish? Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked skillfully under the sun. This too is futile.

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

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.

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.

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.

Geneva Bible 1599

And who knoweth whether he shalbe wise or foolish? yet shall hee haue rule ouer all my labour, wherein I haue trauailed, and wherein I haue shewed my selfe wise vnder the sunne. This is also vanitie.

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.

Young's 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.

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.

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Cross references

“who knoweth”

Ecclesiastes 3:22 1 Kings 12:14–20 1 Kings 14:25–28 2 Chronicles 10:13–16 2 Chronicles 12:9 2 Chronicles 12:10

Ecclesiastes 3:22 · BSB

I have seen that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will come after him?

1 Kings 12:14–20 · BSB

and spoke to them as the young men had advised, saying, “Whereas my father made your yoke heavy, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.”

1 Kings 14:25–28 · BSB

In the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 10:13–16 · BSB

And the king answered them harshly. King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders

2 Chronicles 12:9 · BSB

So King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem and seized the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the royal palace. He took everything, including the gold shields that Solomon had made.

2 Chronicles 12:10 · BSB

Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place and committed them to the care of the captains of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace.

“wise under”

James 3:17 Ecclesiastes 9:13 Luke 16:8 James 1:17

James 3:17 · BSB

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.

Ecclesiastes 9:13 · BSB

I have also seen this wisdom under the sun, and it was great to me:

Luke 16:8 · BSB

The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the sons of light.

James 1:17 · BSB

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.

Cross references adapted from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0) and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

In context

18I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.

20So my heart began to despair over all the labor that I had done under the sun.

Read Ecclesiastes 2