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Ecclesiastes 9:3-5
New English Translation
Ecclesiastes 9:3-5
New English Translation
3 This is the unfortunate fact[a] about everything that happens on earth:[b]
the same fate awaits[c] everyone.
In addition to this, the hearts of all people[d] are full of evil,
and there is folly in their hearts during their lives—then they die.[e]
Better to Be Poor but Alive than Rich but Dead
4 But whoever is among[f] the living[g] has hope;
a live dog is better than a dead lion.
5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead do not know anything;
they have no further reward—and even the memory of them disappears.[h]
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 9:3 tn Heb “evil.”
- Ecclesiastes 9:3 tn Heb “under the sun.”
- Ecclesiastes 9:3 tn The term “awaits” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness and stylistic reasons.
- Ecclesiastes 9:3 tn Heb “also the heart of the sons of man.” Here “heart” is a collective singular.
- Ecclesiastes 9:3 tn Heb “and after that [they go] to [the place of] the dead.”
- Ecclesiastes 9:4 tn The consonantal text (Kethib) has “is chosen, selected.” The translation follows the marginal reading (Qere), “is joined.” See BDB 288 s.v. חָבַר Pu.
- Ecclesiastes 9:4 tn Heb “all the living.”
- Ecclesiastes 9:5 tn Heb “for their memory is forgotten.” The pronominal suffix is an objective genitive, “memory of them.”
New English Translation (NET)
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