Top Verses from Ecclesiastes 9  

For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten. (NIV)

For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; and they have no more reward [here], for the memory of them is forgotten. (AMP)

For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. (KJV)

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. (NIV)

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol (the place of the dead), where you are going. (AMP)

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. (KJV)

Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so people are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them. (NIV)

For man also knows not his time [of death]: as the fishes are taken in an evil net, and as the birds are caught in the snare, so are the sons of men snared in an evil time when [calamity] falls suddenly upon them. (AMP)

For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them. (KJV)

Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. (NIV)

But there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no man [seriously] remembered that poor man. (AMP)

Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. (KJV)

So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God's hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them. (NIV)

FOR ALL this I took to heart, exploring and examining it all, how the righteous (the upright, in right standing with God) and the wise and their works are in the hands of God. Whether it is to be love or hatred no man knows; all that is before them. (AMP)

For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them. (KJV)

I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me: (NIV)

This [illustration of] wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great to me: (AMP)

This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: (KJV)

The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools. (NIV)

The words of wise men heard in quiet are better than the shouts of him who rules among fools. (AMP)

The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. (KJV)

So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded. (NIV)

But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heeded. (AMP)

Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. (KJV)

There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it. (NIV)

There was a little city with few men in it. And a great king came against it and besieged it and built great bulwarks against it. (AMP)

There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: (KJV)

Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun – all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. (NIV)

Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun--all the days of futility. For that is your portion in this life and in your work at which you toil under the sun. (AMP)

Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun. (KJV)