Ecclesiastes 8:9,16-17
Ecclesiastes 8:9 The Message (MSG)
All this I observed as I tried my best to understand all that’s going on in this world. As long as men and women have the power to hurt each other, this is the way it is.
Ecclesiastes 8:16-17-16-17 The Message (MSG)
When I determined to load up on wisdom and examine everything taking place on earth, I realized that if you keep your eyes open day and night without even blinking, you’ll still never figure out the meaning of what God is doing on this earth. Search as hard as you like, you’re not going to make sense of it. No matter how smart you are, you won’t get to the bottom of it.
Ecclesiastes 8:9 King James Version (KJV)
All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.
Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 King James Version (KJV)
When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:) then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea farther; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.
Ecclesiastes 8:9 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
All this I have seen and applied my mind to every deed that has been done under the sun wherein a man has exercised authority over another man to his hurt.
Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the task which has been done on the earth (even though one should never sleep day or night), and I saw every work of God, I concluded that man cannot discover the work which has been done under the sun. Even though man should seek laboriously, he will not discover; and though the wise man should say, “I know,” he cannot discover.
Ecclesiastes 8:9 New Century Version (NCV)
I saw all of this as I considered all that is done here on earth. Sometimes people harm those they control.
Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 New Century Version (NCV)
I tried to understand all that happens on earth. I saw how busy people are, working day and night and hardly ever sleeping. I also saw all that God has done. Nobody can understand what God does here on earth. No matter how hard people try to understand it, they cannot. Even if wise people say they understand, they cannot; no one can really understand it.
Ecclesiastes 8:9 American Standard Version (ASV)
All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man hath power over another to his hurt.
Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 American Standard Version (ASV)
When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes), then I beheld all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because however much a man labor to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea moreover, though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.
Ecclesiastes 8:9 New International Version (NIV)
All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is a time when a man lords it over others to his own hurt.
Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 New International Version (NIV)
When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the labor that is done on earth—people getting no sleep day or night— then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it.
Ecclesiastes 8:9 New King James Version (NKJV)
All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun: There is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt.
Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 New King James Version (NKJV)
When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on earth, even though one sees no sleep day or night, then I saw all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. For though a man labors to discover it, yet he will not find it; moreover, though a wise man attempts to know it, he will not be able to find it.
Ecclesiastes 8:9 Amplified Bible (AMP)
All this I have seen while applying my mind to every deed that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one man has exercised power over others to their detriment.
Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 Amplified Bible (AMP)
When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to see the activities [of mankind] that take place upon the earth—how some men seem to sleep neither day nor night— and I saw all the work of God, I concluded that man cannot discover the work that is done under the sun. Even though man may labor in seeking, he will not discover; and [more than that], though a wise man thinks and claims he knows, he will not be able to find it out. [Deut 29:29; Rom 11:33]
Ecclesiastes 8:9 New Living Translation (NLT)
I have thought deeply about all that goes on here under the sun, where people have the power to hurt each other.
Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 New Living Translation (NLT)
In my search for wisdom and in my observation of people’s burdens here on earth, I discovered that there is ceaseless activity, day and night. I realized that no one can discover everything God is doing under the sun. Not even the wisest people discover everything, no matter what they claim.
Ecclesiastes 8:9 English Standard Version Revision 2016 (ESV)
All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt.
Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 English Standard Version Revision 2016 (ESV)
When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one’s eyes see sleep, then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.