ECC 7:29 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not necessarily natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for Bible-translators and others doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still early looks into the drafted texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

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 Πλὴν ἴδε τοῦτο εὗρον, ὃ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς σὺν τὸν ἄνθρωπον εὐθῆ· καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐζήτησαν λογισμοὺς πολλούς.
¶ Τίς οἶδε σοφοὺς, καὶ τίς οἶδε λύσιν ῥήματος;
(Plaʸn ide touto heuron, ho epoiaʸsen ho Theos sun ton anthrōpon euthaʸ; kai autoi ezaʸtaʸsan logismous pollous.
¶ Tis oide sofous, kai tis oide lusin ɽaʸmatos;)

BrTr But, behold, this have I found, that God made man upright; but they have sought out many devices.
¶ Who knows the wise? and who knows the interpretation of a saying?

ULT ⇔ Only see this I have found:
⇔ That the God made humanity upright,
⇔ but they, they have sought out many schemes.”

UST ⇔ So, consider this:
⇔ After everything, I have learned only that when God created humanity,
⇔ God made them to live justly and equitably.
⇔ Despite this, humans have tried to discover innumerable ways
⇔ to understand life and attempt to control what happens to them.

BSB Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made mankind upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”

OEB No OEB ECC 7:29 book available

WEBBE Behold, I have only found this: that God made mankind upright; but they search for many inventions.”

NET This alone have I discovered: God made humankind upright,
⇔ but they have sought many evil schemes.

LSV See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they have sought out many inventions.

FBV But I did find this one thing: God made people to do what's right, but they have followed their own ideas.[fn]

7:29 Literally, “but they have sought out many devices.”

T4T But I did learn one thing:
⇔ When God created people, they were righteous,
⇔ but they have found many ways to do many evil things.

LEB Look! This alone I found: God made mankind upright, but they have devised many schemes.”

BBE This only have I seen, that God made men upright, but they have been searching out all sorts of inventions.

Moff Here is all I have been able to discover: God made the race of men upright, but many a cunning wile have they contrived.

JPS Behold, this only have I found, that God made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

ASV Behold, this only have I found: that God made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

DRA (ECC 7:30) Only this I have found, that God made man right, and he hath entangled himself with an infinity of questions. Who is as the wise man? and who hath known the resolution of the word?

YLT See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they — they have sought out many devices.

Drby Only see this which I have found: that [fn]God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.

7.29 Elohim

RV Behold, this only have I found, that God made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

SLT Only see, this I found, that God made man upright; and they sought out many purposes.

Wbstr Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

KJB-1769 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
(Lo, this only have I found, that God hath/has made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.)

KJB-1611 Loe, this onely haue I found, that God hath made man vpright: but they haue sought out many inuentions.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps Lo this onlye haue I founde, that God made man iust and right: but they sought many inuentions.
(Lo this only have I found, that God made man just and right: but they sought many inventions.)

Gnva Beholde, sayth the Preacher, this haue I found, seeking one by one to finde the count:
(Behold, saith/says the Preacher, this have I found, seeking one by one to find the count:)

Cvdl Lo, this onely haue I founde, that God made man iust & right, but they seke dyuerse sotylties,
(Lo, this only have I found, that God made man just and right, but they seek diverse/various subtleties,)

Wycl (ECC 7:30) I foond this oonli, that God made a man riytful; and he medlide hym silf with questiouns with out noumbre. Who is siche as a wijs man? and who knowith the expownyng of a word?
(I found this only, that God made a man rightful; and he mixed himself with questions with out number. Who is such as a wise man? and who knoweth/knows the expounding of a word?)

Luth Alleine schaue das, ich habe funden, daß GOtt den Menschen hat aufrichtig gemacht; aber sie suchen viel Künste.
(Alone/Only look this/that, I have funds, that God the people has sincerely made; but they/she/them search_for many arts/devices.)

ClVg (ECC 7:30) Solummodo hoc inveni, quod fecerit Deus hominem rectum, et ipse se infinitis miscuerit quæstionibus. Quis talis ut sapiens est? et quis cognovit solutionem verbi?][fn]
(Only this I_found, that he_did God man rightness/accuracy, and exactly_that/himself himself boundless may_have_mixed questionings. Who such as wise it_is? and who/any he_knew solution words?])

7.30 Solummodo hoc. HIER. Ne videatur communem omnium hominum naturam damnare, et Deum ejus auctorem accusare, vigilanter adjecit, Solummodo, etc. Quasi dicat: Homo quidem bonus factus est, sed libero arbitrio derelictus, sponte cadit et immiscet se vanis curis et superfluis. Quis talis ut sapiens, etc. ID. Dixit superius vix bonum hominem inveniri, cum a Deo homines sint boni facti. Nunc quæ bona eis dederit tanquam gratulabundus enumerat, sapientiam, rationem, arcana cognoscere.

7.30 Only hoc. HIER. Don’t it_seems common of_all of_men nature to_condemn, and God his/her author to_accuse, vigilantly added, Only, etc. As_if let_him_say: Man indeed good/kind/gracious became it_is, but I_free at_will abandoned, voluntarily falls and mixes_in himself vain worries and superfluous. Who such as wise, etc. ID. He/She_said above barely good man to_be_found, when/with from to_God people/men let_them_be good made. now which good(s) to_them will_give as_if congratulating enumerates, wisdom, reason, secrets to_know.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast

לְ⁠בַד֙ רְאֵה זֶ֣ה מָצָ֔אתִי אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֧ה הָ⁠אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת הָ⁠אָדָ֖ם יָשָׁ֑ר וְ⁠הֵ֥מָּה בִקְשׁ֖וּ חִשְּׁבֹנ֥וֹת רַבִּֽים

only,only see this found which/who he/it_had_made the=ʼElohīm DOM the=humankind upright and,they devised schemes many

Solomon uses the word but here to indicate a contrast between God making humanity upright and humanity seeking out many schemes. In your translation, indicate this contrast in a way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [Only see this I have found: That God made humanity upright, but they themselves have sought out many schemes]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

עָשָׂ֧ה הָ⁠אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת הָ⁠אָדָ֖ם יָשָׁ֑ר

he/it_had_made the=ʼElohīm DOM the=humankind upright

Here Solomon is speaking as if moral integrity were being physically upright. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [the God made humanity with moral integrity]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

אֶת הָ⁠אָדָ֖ם

DOM the=humankind

See how you translated the similar expression in 7:2.

Note 4 topic: writing-pronouns

וְ⁠הֵ֥מָּה בִקְשׁ֖וּ חִשְּׁבֹנ֥וֹת רַבִּֽים

and,they devised schemes many

Solomon is stating the pronoun they twice to emphasize that it is humanity itself, not God, who has sought out many schemes. 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. Alternate translation: [but they themselves have sought out many schemes]

Parallel ECC 7:29