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the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

Literal Standard Version

Ecclesiastes 2:9

And I became great, and increased above everyone who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood 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.
Amplified Bible
So I became great and excelled more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
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 in my heart, "Pray, come, I try you with mirth, and look on gladness"; and behold, even it [is] vanity. 2Of laughter I said, "Foolish!" And of mirth, "What [is] this it is doing?" 3I have sought in my heart to draw out with wine my appetite (and my heart leading in wisdom), and to take hold on folly until I see where this [is]—the good to the sons of man of that which they do under the heavens, the number of the days of their lives. 4I made great my works, I built for myself houses, I planted for myself vineyards. 5I made for myself gardens and paradises, and I planted in them trees of every fruit. 6I made for myself pools of water, to water from them a forest shooting forth trees. 7I acquired menservants, and maidservants, and sons of the house were to me; also, I had much substance—herd and flock—above all who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8I also gathered for myself silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces. I prepared for myself men-singers and women-singers, and the luxuries of the sons of man—a wife and wives. 9And I became great, and increased above everyone who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood with me.10And all that my eyes asked I did not keep back from them; I did not withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this has been my portion, from 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 YHWH God plants a garden in Eden, at the east, and He sets there the man whom He has formed;
Genesis 2:9
and YHWH God causes to sprout from the ground every tree desirable for appearance, and good for food, and the Tree of Life in the midst of the garden, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Genesis 2:17
but from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, you do not eat from it, for in the day of your eating from it—dying you die."
Genesis 3:3
but from the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God has said, You do not eat of it, nor touch it, lest you die."
Deuteronomy 6:25
and it is righteousness for us when we observe to do all this command before our God YHWH, as He has commanded us."
Proverbs 3:18
She [is] a tree of life to those laying hold on her, || And whoever is retaining her [is] blessed.
Proverbs 11:30
The fruit of the righteous [is] a tree of life, || And whoever is taking souls [is] wise.
Isaiah 44:25
Making void the tokens of devisers, || And makes diviners mad, || Turning the wise backward, || And makes their knowledge foolish.
Isaiah 47:10
And you are confident in your wickedness, || You have said, There is none seeing me, || Your wisdom and your knowledge, || It is turning you back, || And you say in your heart, I [am], and none else.
Ezekiel 31:16
I have caused nations to shake at the sound of his fall, || In My causing him to go down to Sheol, || With those going down to the pit, || And all trees of Eden are comforted in the lower earth, || The choice and good of Lebanon—All drinking waters.

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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