ECC 5:16 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal Speaker(s)=Narrator (All still tentative.)

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 (ECC 5:15) Καί γε τοῦτο πονηρὰ ἀῤῥωστία· ὥσπερ γὰρ παρεγένετο, οὕτως καὶ ἀπελεύσεται· καὶ τίς ἡ περίσσεια αὐτοῦ ᾗ μοχθεῖ εἰς ἄνεμον;
(Kai ge touto ponaʸra aɽɽōstia; hōsper gar paregeneto, houtōs kai apeleusetai; kai tis haʸ perisseia autou haʸ moⱪthei eis anemon;)

BrTr (ECC 5:15) And this is also an evil infirmity: for as he came, so also shall he return: and what is his gain, for which he vainly labours?

ULT ⇔ And also this, is a sickening misfortune: Just as he came, thus he will go. And what profit, belongs to him who toils for the wind?

UST ⇔ Yes, this was the lamentable, gut-wrenching situation that I witnessed: This man brought nothing into the world when his life began, and, when he died, he took nothing with him. And so, it seems that his hard work never enabled him to feel truly satisfied with his life. His difficult, stressful work was like a frustrated attempt to grab a handful of the wind.

BSB & MSB This too is a grievous affliction: Exactly as a man is born, so he will depart. What does he gain as he toils for the wind?

OEB No OEB ECC 5:16 book available

WEBBE & WMBB This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who labours for the wind?

NET This is another misfortune:
⇔ Just as he came, so will he go.
⇔ What did he gain from toiling for the wind?

LSV And this also [is] a painful evil, just as he came, so he goes, and what advantage [is] to him who labors for wind?

FBV This also makes me sick! What do people gain, working for the wind?[fn]

5:16 As noted in footnote for 1:14, the word here can mean “wind,” “breath,” or “spirit.” So it could just as easily be translated as “What do you gain, working for a breath of air?” etc.

T4T That also seems senseless.
⇔ People bring nothing into the world when they are born,
⇔ and they leave this world taking nothing with them.
⇔ They have worked hard,
⇔ but they receive no lasting benefit [MET].

LEB This also is a grievous illness. Exactly as he came, so he will go. What profit does he gain for all his toil for the wind?

BBE And this again is a great evil, that in all points as he came so will he go; and what profit has he in working for the wind?

Moff A sore evil this, that as he came so he must go. What does he gain by all his futile toil,

JPS (ECC 5:15) (5-14) As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he go back as he came, and shall take nothing for his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

ASV And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that he laboreth for the wind?

DRA (ECC 5:15) A most deplorable evil: as he came, so shall he return. What then doth it profit him that he hath laboured for the wind?

YLT And this also [is] a painful evil, just as he came, so he goeth, and what advantage [is] to him who laboureth for wind?

Drby And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came so doth he go away, and what profit hath he, in having laboured for the wind?

RV And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that he laboureth for the wind?
(And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath/has he that he laboureth/labours for the wind?)

SLT And also this an evil making sick, wholly as he came so shall he go: and what to him he shall labor for the wind?

Wbstr And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath labored for the wind?

KJB-1769 And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?
(And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath/has he that hath/has laboured for the wind?)

KJB-1611 And this also is a sore euill, that in all points as he came, so shall hee goe: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the winde?
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps This is a miserable plague, that he shall go euen as he came away: What helpeth it him then that he hath laboured in the wynde?
(This is a miserable plague, that he shall go even as he came away: What helpeth/helps it him then that he hath/has laboured in the wind?)

Gnva Also all his dayes hee eateth in darkenes with much griefe, and in his sorowe and anger.
(Also all his days he eateth/eats in darkness with much grief, and in his sorrow and anger.)

Cvdl This is a miserable plage, yt he shal go awaye euen as he came. What helpeth it him then, yt he hath labored in the wynde?
(This is a miserable plague, it he shall go away even as he came. What helpeth/helps it him then, it he hath/has laboured in the wind?)

Wycl (ECC 5:15) Outirli it is a wretchid sijknesse; as he cam, so he schal turne ayen. What therfor profitith it to hym, that he trauelide in to the wynde?
(Utterly it is a wretched sickness; as he came, so he shall turn again. What therefore profiteth/profits it to him, that he travelled in to the wind?)

Luth (ECC 5:15) Das ist eine böse Plage, da er hinfähret, wie er kommen ist. Was hilft‘s ihm denn, daß er in den Wind gearbeitet hat?
(The is a/one evil plague/infliction, there he goes_there, as/like he coming is. What does_it_help him because/than, that he in the wind worked has?)

ClVg (ECC 5:15) Miserabilis prorsus infirmitas: quomodo venit, sic revertetur. Quid ergo prodest ei quod laboravit in ventum?
(Miserable completely weakness: how he_came, so will_return. What therefore benefit to_him that worked_hard in/into/on the_wind?)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

רָעָ֣ה חוֹלָ֔ה

evil grievous

See how you translated the similar expression in [5:13](../05/13.md).

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

כָּ⁠ל עֻמַּ֥ת שֶׁ⁠בָּ֖א כֵּ֣ן יֵלֵ֑ךְ

as=to as_of (that)_he,came yes/correct/thus/so go

The point of this comparison is that just as he came into the world with nothing, so also he will go and leave the world with nothing. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: [Just as he came into the world with nothing, he will go out of the world with nothing]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

כָּ⁠ל עֻמַּ֥ת שֶׁ⁠בָּ֖א כֵּ֣ן יֵלֵ֑ךְ

as=to as_of (that)_he,came yes/correct/thus/so go

Solomon is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You can supply these words from the context if that would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: [Just as he came into the world with nothing, so he will go out of it with nothing]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

שֶֽׁ⁠יַּעֲמֹ֖ל לָ⁠רֽוּחַ

(cmp)_he,will_toil for,wind

Here Solomon is speaking as if a person’s labor were directed toward the wind, something that cannot be grasped. He means that the effort is futile. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [who toils for nothing]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

וּ⁠מַה יִּתְר֣וֹן ל֔⁠וֹ שֶֽׁ⁠יַּעֲמֹ֖ל לָ⁠רֽוּחַ

and,what? gain to=him/it (cmp)_he,will_toil for,wind

Solomon is using the question form to emphasize that there is no profit for the person who toils. If a speaker of your language would not use the question form for that purpose, you could translate this as a statement or as an exclamation. Alternate translation: [And there is no profit for him who toils for the wind.]

Parallel ECC 5:16