God’s Word Translation
Ecclesiastes 7:14
14When times are good, be happy. But when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one time as well as the other so that mortals cannot predict their future.
Ecclesiastes 7:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.
- New International Version (NIV)When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.
- English Standard Version (ESV)In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.
- New King James Version (NKJV)In the day of prosperity be joyful, But in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, So that man can find out nothing that will come after him.
Context of Ecclesiastes 7:14
12Wisdom protects us just as money protects us, but the advantage of wisdom is that it gives life to those who have it. 13Consider what God has done! Who can straighten what God has bent? When times are good, be happy. But when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one time as well as the other so that mortals cannot predict their future. 15I have seen it all in my pointless life: Righteous people die in spite of being righteous. Wicked people go on living in spite of being wicked. 16Don’t be too virtuous, and don’t be too wise. Why make yourself miserable?
Read all of Ecclesiastes 7Ecclesiastes 7:14 word by word
בְּי֤וֹם טוֹבָה֙ הֱיֵ֣ה בְט֔וֹב וּבְי֥וֹם רָעָ֖ה רְאֵ֑ה גַּ֣ם אֶת־זֶ֤ה לְעֻמַּת־זֶה֙ עָשָׂ֣ה הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים עַל־דִּבְרַ֗ת שֶׁלֹּ֨א יִמְצָ֧א הָֽאָדָ֛ם אַחֲרָ֖יו מְאֽוּמָה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- In the dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- of prosperityטוֹבָהţôb · welfareH2896
- be joyfulטוֹבţôb · goodH2896
- of adversityרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: harmH7451
- considerרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: examineH7200
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- also hath setעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- the one over againstעֻמָּה‛ûmmâh · closeH5980
- the other, to the endדִּבְרָהdibrâh · causeH1700
- that manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- should findמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
- nothingמְא֫וּמָהme'ûmâh · anythingH3972
- afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 7:14
- Ecclesiastes 3:4a time to cry and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
- Deuteronomy 28:47You didn’t serve the Lord your God with a joyful and happy heart when you had so much.
- Psalms 30:11You have changed my sobbing into dancing. You have removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy
- Psalms 40:3He placed a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see this and worship. They will trust the Lord.
- Matthew 9:13Learn what this means: ‘I want mercy, not sacrifices.’ I’ve come to call sinners, not people who think they have God’s approval.”
- John 16:22“Now you’re in a painful situation. But I will see you again. Then you will be happy, and no one will take that happiness away from you.
- James 5:13If any of you are having trouble, pray. If you are happy, sing psalms.
- Deuteronomy 8:3So he made you suffer from hunger and then fed you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had seen before. He did this to teach you that a person cannot live on bread alone but on every word that the Lord speaks.
- 1 Kings 8:47If they come to their senses, are sorry for what they’ve done, and plead with you in the land where they are captives, saying, ‘We have sinned. We have done wrong. We have been wicked,’
- 1 Kings 17:17Afterwards, the son of the woman who owned the house got sick. He got so sick that finally no life was left in him.
- 2 Chronicles 33:12When he experienced this distress, he begged the Lord his God to be kind and humbled himself in front of the God of his ancestors.
- Job 10:1“I hate my life. I will freely express my complaint. I will speak as bitterly as I feel.
- Psalms 94:12O Lord, blessed is the person whom you discipline and instruct from your teachings.
- Psalms 119:71It was good that I had to suffer in order to learn your laws.
- Isaiah 22:12On that day the Almighty Lord of Armies will call for crying and for mourning, for shaving your heads and for wearing sackcloth.
- Isaiah 26:11O Lord, your power is visible, but they do not see it. They will see how devoted your people are, and they will be put to shame. Your burning anger will destroy your enemies.
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 7:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14In the day of prosperity be joyful - When ye receive these temporal gifts from God, enjoy them, and be thankful to the Giver: but remember, this sunshine will not always last. God has balanced prosperity and adversity against each other; and were it not so, how many would put the former in the place of God himself!Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14Good and prosperous days are in God‘s design special times of comfort and rejoicing: the days of affliction and trouble, are in God‘s design the proper seasons of recollection and serious consideration. The Providence of God hath so contrived it, that our good and evil days should be intermingled each with the other. This mixture of good and evil days is by the Divine Providence so proportioned, that it sufficiently justifies the dealings of God toward…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-22Verses 11-22 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, yea better. It shelters from the storms and scorching heat of trouble. Wealth will not lengthen out the natural life; but true wisdom will give spiritual life, and strengthen men for services under their sufferings. Let us look upon the disposal of our condition as the work of God, and at last all will appear to have been for the best. In acts of righteousness, be not carried into heats or passions, no…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14Enjoying prosperity is good, but these gifts do not last. A wise person accepts God's control in everything (see Philippians 4:11–13).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. consider--resumed from Ec 7:13. "Consider," that is, regard it as "the work of God"; for "God has made (Hebrew, for 'set') this (adversity) also as well as the other (prosperity)." "Adversity" is one of the things which "God has made crooked," and which man cannot "make straight." He ought therefore to be "patient" (Ec 7:8). after him--equivalent to "that man may not find anything (to blame) after God" (that is, after "considering God's work," Ec…Read the comment
Topics related to Ecclesiastes 7:14
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries