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Amplified Bible

Ecclesiastes 2:9

So I became great and excelled more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Epicureans;   Investigation;   Pleasure;   Solomon;   Vanity;   Wisdom;   Worldliness;   Thompson Chain Reference - Great;   Honour-Dishonour;   Men;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Vanity;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Joy;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, the Book of;   Jerusalem;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, Book of;   Israel, History of;   Jewels, Jewelry;   Joy;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ecclesiastes;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Winter ;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher;   Mad;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for October 1;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom also remained with me.
Hebrew Names Version
So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Yerushalayim. My wisdom also remained with me.
King James Version
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
English Standard Version
So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.
New American Standard Bible
Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.
New Century Version
I became very famous, even greater than anyone who had lived in Jerusalem before me. My wisdom helped me in all this.
World English Bible
So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And I was great, & increased aboue all that were before me in Ierusalem: also my wisedome remained with me.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.
Berean Standard Bible
So I became great and surpassed all in Jerusalem who had preceded me; and my wisdom remained with me.
Contemporary English Version
I was the most famous person who had ever lived in Jerusalem, and I was very wise.
Complete Jewish Bible
So I grew great, surpassing all who preceded me in Yerushalayim; my wisdom, too, stayed with me.
Darby Translation
And I became great, and increased more than all that had been before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
Easy-to-Read Version
I became very rich and famous. I was greater than anyone who lived in Jerusalem before me. My wisdom was always there to help me.
George Lamsa Translation
So I became great, and my wealth increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom also remained with me.
Good News Translation
Yes, I was great, greater than anyone else who had ever lived in Jerusalem, and my wisdom never failed me.
Lexham English Bible
Thus, I accomplished far more than anyone who was before me in Jerusalem—indeed, my wisdom stood by me.
Literal Translation
And I became great and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom stayed with me.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
(Shortly) I was greater & in more worshipe, then all my predecessours in Ierusale. For wy?dome remayned with me:
American Standard Version
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
Bible in Basic English
And I became great; increasing more than all who had been before me in Jerusalem, and my wisdom was still with me.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom stood me in stead.
King James Version (1611)
So I was great, and increased more then all that were before mee in Ierusalem; also my wisedome remained with me.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And I was greater and in more worship then all my predecessours in Hierusalem: For wisdome remayned with me.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
So I became great, and advanced beyond all that were before in Jerusalem: also my wisdom was established to me.
English Revised Version
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and Y passide in richessis alle men, that weren bifor me in Jerusalem. Also wisdom dwellide stabli with me,
Update Bible Version
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
Webster's Bible Translation
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
New English Translation
So I was far wealthier than all my predecessors in Jerusalem, yet I maintained my objectivity:
New King James Version
So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.
New Living Translation
So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me.
New Life Bible
Then I became great, greater than all who lived before me in Jerusalem. And my wisdom stayed with me.
New Revised Standard
So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So I became great, and increased, more than any one who had been before me in Jerusalem, - moreover, my wisdom, remained with me;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I surpassed in riches all that were before me in Jerusalem: my wisdom also remained with me.
Revised Standard Version
So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me.
Young's Literal Translation
And I became great, and increased above every one who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood with me.
THE MESSAGE
Oh, how I prospered! I left all my predecessors in Jerusalem far behind, left them behind in the dust. What's more, I kept a clear head through it all. Everything I wanted I took—I never said no to myself. I gave in to every impulse, held back nothing. I sucked the marrow of pleasure out of every task—my reward to myself for a hard day's work!
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.

Contextual Overview

1I said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure and gratification; so enjoy yourself and have a good time." But behold, this too was vanity (futility, meaninglessness). 2I said of laughter, "It is madness," and of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?" 3I explored with my mind how to gratify myself with wine while [at the same time] having my mind remain steady and guide me wisely; and how to take control of foolishness, until I could see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives. 4I made great works: I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself; 5I made gardens and orchards for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; 6I made pools of water for myself from which to water the forest and make the trees bud. 7I bought male and female slaves and had slaves born in my house. I also possessed herds and flocks larger than any who preceded me in Jerusalem. 8Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male singers and female singers, and the delights and pleasures of men—many concubines. 9So I became great and excelled more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.10Whatever my eyes looked at with desire I did not refuse them. I did not withhold from my heart any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor; and this was my reward for all my labor.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ecclesiastes 1:16, 1 Kings 3:12, 1 Kings 10:7, 1 Kings 10:23, 1 Chronicles 29:25, 2 Chronicles 1:1, 2 Chronicles 9:22, 2 Chronicles 9:23

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 1:12 - such as none

Cross-References

Genesis 2:8
And the LORD God planted a garden (oasis) in the east, in Eden (delight, land of happiness); and He put the man whom He had formed (created) there.
Genesis 2:9
And [in that garden] the LORD God caused to grow from the ground every tree that is desirable and pleasing to the sight and good (suitable, pleasant) for food; the tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the [experiential] knowledge (recognition) of [the difference between] good and evil.
Genesis 2:17
but [only] from the tree of the knowledge (recognition) of good and evil you shall not eat, otherwise on the day that you eat from it, you shall most certainly die [because of your disobedience]."
Genesis 3:3
except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God said, 'You shall not eat from it nor touch it, otherwise you will die.'"
Deuteronomy 6:25
"It will be [considered] righteousness for us [that is, right standing with God] if we are careful to observe all this commandment before the LORD our God—just as He has commanded us.
Proverbs 3:18
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is everyone who holds her tightly.
Proverbs 11:30
The fruit of the [consistently] righteous is a tree of life, And he who is wise captures and wins souls [for God—he gathers them for eternity].
Isaiah 44:25
Frustrating the signs and confounding the omens of boasters (false prophets), Making fools out of fortune-tellers, Counteracting the wise And making their knowledge ridiculous,
Isaiah 47:10
"For you [Babylon] have trusted and felt confident in your wickedness; you have said, 'No one sees me.' Your wisdom and your knowledge have led you astray, And you have said in your heart (mind), 'I am, and there is no one besides me.'
Ezekiel 31:16
"I made the nations quake at the sound of its fall when I cast it down to Sheol with those who descend into the pit; and all the well-watered trees of Eden, the choicest and the best of Lebanon, will be comforted in the earth beneath [at Assyria's downfall].

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So I was great,.... Became famous for the great works wrought by him before mentioned;

and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem; the Targum adds, "in riches"; but it seems rather to respect his fame and glory among men; though in general it may include his increase of wealth, power, and honour, and everything that contributed to his external happiness;

also my wisdom remained with me; the Targum adds, "and it helped me"; which he exercised and showed in the government of his kingdom, in the conduct of his family, in his personal deportment and behaviour; amidst all his pleasures, he did not neglect the study of natural knowledge, nor give himself up to sordid and sinful lusts; and so was a better judge of pleasure, whether true happiness consisted in it or not.


 
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