ECC 2:24 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) There’s nothing better for humanity other than eating and drinking,
⇔ and genuinely enjoying their hard work.
⇔ Also I saw that that comes from God[ref]

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγαθὸν ἀνθρώπῳ, ὃ φάγεται καὶ ὃ πίεται καὶ ὃ δείξει τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ ἀγαθὸν ἐν μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ· καί γε τοῦτο εἶδον ἐγὼ ὅτι ἀπὸ χειρὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστιν·
(Ouk estin agathon anthrōpōi, ho fagetai kai ho pietai kai ho deixei taʸ psuⱪaʸ autou agathon en moⱪthōi autou; kai ge touto eidon egō hoti apo ⱪeiros tou Theou estin;)

BrTr A man has nothing really good to eat, and to drink, and to shew his soul as good in his trouble. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.

ULT There is nothing better for humanity than that he should eat and drink and cause his spirit to see good in his toil. Also, this I saw, I, that it is from the hand of the God,

UST So, this is what I have concluded: The best way that people can live is simply to enjoy whatever they have to eat and drink and to allow themselves to find something enjoyable about their work. I have personally experienced that this kind of present-minded joy only comes when God gives it to someone.

BSB Nothing [is] better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy his work. I have also seen that this [is] from the hand of God.

MSB (Same as BSB above)

OEB No OEB ECC book available

WEBBE There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET There is nothing better for people than to eat and drink,
⇔ and to find enjoyment in their work.
⇔ I also perceived that this ability to find enjoyment comes from God.

LSV There is nothing good in a man who eats, and has drunk, and has shown his soul good in his labor. This also I have seen that it [is] from the hand of God.

FBV So what's the best thing to do? Eat, drink, and enjoy your work, recognizing as I did that these things are given to us by God,

T4T So I decided that the best thing that we can do is to enjoy what we eat and drink, and also enjoy our work. And I realized that those things are what God intends for us.

LEB ¶ There is nothing better for a person than to eat and drink and _⌊find delight_⌋[fn] in his toil. For I also realized that this is from the hand of God!

2:24 Literally “to see good”

BBE There is nothing better for a man than taking meat and drink, and having delight in his work. This again I saw was from the hand of God.

Moff There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy himself, as he does his work. And this, I find, is what God grants;

JPS There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy pleasure for his labour. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.

ASV There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.

DRA Is it not better to eat and drink, and to shew his soul good things of his labours? and this is from the hand of God.

YLT There is nothing good in a man who eateth, and hath drunk, and hath shewn his soul good in his labour. This also I have seen that it [is] from the hand of God.

Drby There is nothing good for man, but that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of [fn]God.

2.24 Elohim

RV There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.

SLT Not good in man he shall eat and drink and cause his soul to see good in his labor. Also this I saw that it is from the hand of God.

Wbstr There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

KJB-1769 ¶ There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.[fn]

2.24 should make…: or, delight his senses

KJB-1611 ¶ [fn]There is nothing better for a man, then that he should eat and drinke, and that he should make his soule enioy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.
(¶ There is nothing better for a man, then that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.)

2:24 Or, delight his senses.

Bshps Is it not better then for a man to eate and drynke, and his soule to be mery in his labour? yea I sawe that this also was a gift of God.
(Is it not better then for a man to eat and drink, and his soul to be merry in his labour? yea I saw that this also was a gift of God.)

Gnva There is no profit to man: but that he eate, and drinke, and delight his soule with the profit of his labour: I saw also this, that it was of the hand of God.
(There is no profit to man: but that he eat, and drink, and delight his soul with the profit of his labour: I saw also this, that it was of the hand of God.)

Cvdl Is it not better then for a ma to eate and drynke, and his soule to be mery in his laboure? Yee I sawe that this also was a gifte of God:
(Is it not better then for a man to eat and drink, and his soul to be merry in his labour? Ye/You_all I saw that this also was a gift of God:)

Wycl Whether it is not betere to ete and drynke, and to schewe to hise soule goodis of hise trauels? and this thing is of the hond of God.
(Whether it is not better to eat and drink, and to show to his soul goods of his travels? and this thing is of the hand of God.)

Luth Ist‘s nun nicht besser dem Menschen, essen und trinken und seine SeeLE guter Dinge sein in seiner Arbeit? Aber solches sah‘ ich auch, daß von Gottes Hand kommt.
(Is_it now not better to_him people, eat and drink(v) and his soul good things be in his work/job? But such saw‘ I also, that from God’s hand comes.)

ClVg Nonne melius est comedere et bibere, et ostendere animæ suæ bona de laboribus suis? et hoc de manu Dei est.[fn]
(Isn't_it better it_is to_eat and to_drink, and to_show soul his/her_own good(s) from/about labours to_his_own? and this from/about by_hand of_God it_is.)

2.24 Nonne melius. ID. Postquam omnia pertractavi, etc., usque ad quantum sufficit?

2.24 Isn't_it better. ID. After everything pertractavi, etc., until to how_much enough?

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / litotes

אֵֽין־ט֤וֹב בָּ⁠אָדָם֙

not good for,person

Solomon is emphasizing a positive meaning by using a negative word, nothing, together with a mild expression that is the opposite of the intended meaning. He means that the very best thing for a person is to eat, drink, and find enjoyment in work. If it would be helpful in your language, you could emphasize the positive meaning in a strong way. Alternate translation: [The very best thing for humanity is]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

וְ⁠הֶרְאָ֧ה & ט֤וֹב

and,he_will_show & (Some words not found in UHB: not good for,person (cmp)_he,will_eat and,he_will_drink and,he_will_show DOM self_of,his good in,toil_of,his also/yet this seen I that/for/because/then/when [is]_from,the_hand_of the=ʼElohīm she/it )

Solomon is using see good as a common expression of the culture to mean “experience enjoyment.” If this phrase does not have that meaning for your readers, you could use a comparable expression from your language that does have that meaning, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [experience enjoyment]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

מִ⁠יַּ֥ד הָ⁠אֱלֹהִ֖ים

[is]_from,the_hand_of the=ʼElohīm

The phrase the hand of God represents his power and provision. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [comes from God]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

מִ⁠יַּ֥ד הָ⁠אֱלֹהִ֖ים

[is]_from,the_hand_of the=ʼElohīm

Solomon is using the possessive form to describe something that comes from God, indicating its source. If a speaker of your language would not use the possessive form for this, you could express this idea in another way. Alternate translation: [is from God]

Note 5 topic: writing-pronouns

זֹה֙ רָאִ֣יתִי אָ֔נִי

this seen I

Solomon is stating the pronoun I separately, even though the verb translated as saw already includes this meaning. He is doing that to emphasize that he himself personally recognized this truth. If a speaker of your language would use an explicit pronoun for the same purpose, you may want to use that construction in your translation. If not, your language may have other ways of showing the meaning here.

Parallel ECC 2:24