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Contemporary English Version

Ecclesiastes 5:17

Besides all this, they are always gloomy at mealtime, and they are troubled, sick, and bitter.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Riches;   Thompson Chain Reference - Disease;   Health-Disease;   Sickness;   Sin;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Darkness;   Sickness;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Death, Mortality;   Wealth;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ecclesiastes;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, Book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- The Jewish Encyclopedia - Church Fathers;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for September 12;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
What is more, he eats in darkness all his days, with much frustration, sickness, and anger.
Hebrew Names Version
All his days he also eats in darkness, he is frustrated, and has sickness and wrath.
King James Version
All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
English Standard Version
Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.
New American Standard Bible
All his life he also eats in darkness with great irritation, sickness, and anger.
New Century Version
All they get are days full of sadness and sorrow, and they end up sick, defeated, and angry.
Amplified Bible
All of his life he also eats in darkness [cheerlessly, without sweetness and light], with great frustration, sickness, and anger.
World English Bible
All his days he also eats in darkness, he is frustrated, and has sickness and wrath.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Also all his dayes hee eateth in darkenes with much griefe, and in his sorowe and anger.
Legacy Standard Bible
Also, all his days he eats in darkness with much vexation, and his sickness and anger.
Berean Standard Bible
Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness, with much sorrow, sickness, and anger.
Complete Jewish Bible
This is what I have seen to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, drink and enjoy the good that results from all his work that he engages in under the sun for all the days of his life that God has given him, for this is his allotted portion.
Darby Translation
All his days also he eateth in darkness, and hath much vexation, and sickness, and irritation.
Easy-to-Read Version
They only get days that are filled with sadness and sorrow. In the end, they are troubled, sick, and angry.
George Lamsa Translation
All his days also he eats in darkness, in much anger and wrath, in mourning and in sickness.
Good News Translation
We get to live our lives in darkness and grief, worried, angry, and sick.
Lexham English Bible
Also, he eats in darkness all his days; he is frustrated in much sickness and resentment.
Literal Translation
Also all his days he eats in darkness, and with much grief, along with his sickness and wrath.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
All the daies of his life also must he eate in the darcke, with greate carefulnesse, sicknesse & sorow.
American Standard Version
All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he is sore vexed, and hath sickness and wrath.
Bible in Basic English
All his days are in the dark, and he has much sorrow, pain, disease, and trouble.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Behold that which I have seen: it is good, yea, it is comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy pleasure for all his labour, wherein he laboureth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him; for this is his portion.
King James Version (1611)
All his dayes also hee eateth in darkenesse, and he hath much sorrowe, and wrath with his sicknesse.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
All the dayes of his lyfe also he dyd eate in the darke, with great carefulnesse, sicknesse, and sorowe.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Behold, I have seen good, that it is a fine thing for a man to eat and to drink, and to see good in all his labour in which he may labour under the sun, all the number of the days of his life which God has given to him: for it is his portion.
English Revised Version
All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he is sore vexed and hath sickness and wrath.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
In alle the daies of his lijf he eet in derknessis, and in many bisinessis, and in nedynesse, and sorewe.
Update Bible Version
All his days also he eats in darkness, and he is intensely vexed, and has sickness and wrath.
Webster's Bible Translation
All his days also he eateth in darkness, and [he hath] much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
New English Translation
Surely, he ate in darkness every day of his life, and he suffered greatly with sickness and anger.
New King James Version
All his days he also eats in darkness, And he has much sorrow and sickness and anger.
New Living Translation
Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud—frustrated, discouraged, and angry.
New Life Bible
All his life he eats in darkness with much sorrow, sickness and anger.
New Revised Standard
Besides, all their days they eat in darkness, in much vexation and sickness and resentment.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Even all his days, are spent in darkness and mourning, - and he is very morose, and is sad and angry.
Douay-Rheims Bible
(5-16) All the days of his life he eateth in darkness, and in many cares, and in misery, and sorrow.
Revised Standard Version
and spent all his days in darkness and grief, in much vexation and sickness and resentment?
Young's Literal Translation
Also all his days in darkness he consumeth, and sadness, and wrath, and sickness abound.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Throughout his life he also eats in darkness with great vexation, sickness and anger.

Contextual Overview

9 And since the king is the highest official, he benefits most from the taxes paid on the land. 10 If you love money and wealth, you will never be satisfied with what you have. This doesn't make sense either. 11 The more you have, the more everyone expects from you. Your money won't do you any good—others will just spend it for you. 12 If you have to work hard for a living, you can rest well at night, even if you don't have much to eat. But if you are rich, you can't even sleep. 13 I have seen something terribly unfair. People get rich, but it does them no good. 14 Suddenly they lose everything in a bad business deal, then have nothing to leave for their children. 15 They came into this world naked, and when they die, they will be just as naked. They can't take anything with them, and they won't have anything to show for all their work. 16 That's terribly unfair. They leave the world just as they came into it. They gained nothing from running after the wind. 17 Besides all this, they are always gloomy at mealtime, and they are troubled, sick, and bitter.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

he eateth: Genesis 3:17, 1 Kings 17:12, Job 21:25, Psalms 78:33, Psalms 102:9, Psalms 127:2, Ezekiel 4:16, Ezekiel 4:17

much: 2 Kings 1:2, 2 Kings 1:6, 2 Kings 5:27, 2 Chronicles 16:10-12, 2 Chronicles 24:24, 2 Chronicles 24:25, Psalms 90:7-11, Proverbs 1:27-29, Acts 12:23, 1 Corinthians 11:30-32

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 2:9 - be silent Psalms 13:2 - sorrow Ecclesiastes 2:22 - hath man Ecclesiastes 6:3 - so Ecclesiastes 7:15 - have I

Gill's Notes on the Bible

All his days also he eateth in darkness,.... To all that has been said is added another evil, that attends such whose hearts are inordinately set on riches; that all their days, throughout the whole of their lives, they live a most uncomfortable life; for eating is here put for their whole manner of living: such not only eat coarse bread, and very mean food of any sort, but wear sordid apparel, and live in a poor cottage, in a very obscure and miserable manner. Aben Ezra understands it literally of the night, to which time such a man defers eating, that he might lose no time in his labour; and that it might not be seen what sort of food he eats, and how sparingly, and that others might not eat with him; and what he does eat is not eaten freely, but grudgingly, and with anguish and distress of mind, without any real pleasure and joy; and much less with the light of God's countenance, the discoveries of his love, and communion with him: the Targum is,

"all his days he dwelleth in darkness, that he may taste his bread alone;''

and [he hath], much sorrow and wrath with his sickness; either the sickness of his mind, his covetousness; or the sickness of his body, emaciated by withholding from himself the necessaries of life: or when he comes upon a sick bed, he is filled with sorrow and indignation, that he must live no longer, to accumulate more wealth, and accomplish his projects and designs; and that he must leave his wealth, he has been at so much pains to gather together. Or, "and he is much angry" o; when things do not answer in trade according to his wishes; when his substance diminishes, or, however, does not increase as he desires; when he is cheated by fraudulent men, or robbed by thieves: "and he hath sickness" p; either of body or mind, or both, because matters do not succeed as he would have them; and through fretfulness at losses and crosses, and disappointments; and through cares in getting and keeping what he has: "and wrath"; at all about him, whom he is ready to charge with slothfulness or unfaithfulness to him; and even at the providence of God, that does not give him the desired success; so that he has no manner of pleasure and comfort in life.

o וכעס הרבה "et irascitur multum", Vatablus, Drusius; "et indignatus fuit, vel indignatur multum", Piscator, Rambachius. p וחליו "et agritudo ei fuit, vel est", Piscator, Drusius; "vel fuerit", Gejerus.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Hath much sorrow ... - Rather, is very sad and hath pain and vexation.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 17. All his days also he eateth in darkness — Even his enjoyments are embittered by uncertainty. He fears for his goods; the possibility of being deprived of them fills his heart with anguish. But instead of יאכל yochel, "he shall eat," ילך yelech, "he shall walk," is the reading of several MSS. He walks in darkness - he has no evidence of salvation. There is no ray of light from God to penetrate the gloom; and all beyond life is darkness impenetrable!

And wrath with his sickness. — His last hours are awful; for,

"Counting on long years of pleasure here,

He's quite unfurnish'd for the world to come."

BLAIR.


He is full of anguish at the thought of death; but the fear of it is horrible. But if he have a sense of God's wrath in his guilty conscience, what horror can be compared with his horror!


 
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