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Sunday, August 17th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

New Life Version

Ecclesiastes 2:9

Then I became great, greater than all who lived before me in Jerusalem. And my wisdom stayed 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 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

1 I said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with things that are fun. So have a good time." But see, this also was for nothing. 2 I said of laughing, "It is crazy," and of fun, "What use is it?" 3 I tried to find in my mind how to make my body happy with wine, yet at the same time having my mind lead me with wisdom. I tried to find how to take hold of what is foolish, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven during the few years of their lives. 4 I did great things. I built houses for myself. I planted grape-fields for myself. 5 I made gardens and beautiful places for myself, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made pools of water for myself from which to water many new trees. 7 I bought men and women servants, and had other servants who were born in my house. I had more flocks and cattle than anyone before me in Jerusalem. 8 I gathered for myself silver and gold and the riches of kings and lands. I got for myself male and female singers, and kept many women who acted as my wives, the joy of man. 9 Then I became great, greater than all who lived before me in Jerusalem. And my wisdom stayed with me. 10 Whatever my eyes wanted I did not keep away from them. I did not keep my heart from anything that was pleasing, for my heart was pleased with all my work. This was my reward for all my work.

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
The Lord God planted a garden to the east in Eden. He put the man there whom He had made.
Genesis 2:9
And the Lord God made to grow out of the ground every tree that is pleasing to the eyes and good for food. And He made the tree of life grow in the center of the garden, and the tree of learning of good and bad.
Genesis 2:17
But do not eat from the tree of learning of good and bad. For the day you eat from it you will die for sure."
Genesis 3:3
But from the tree which is in the center of the garden, God has said, ‘Do not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'"
Deuteronomy 6:25
We will be right with the Lord our God if we are careful to obey all of the Law before Him, just as He told us.
Proverbs 3:18
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her. Happy are all who hold her near.
Proverbs 11:30
The fruit of those who are right with God is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.
Isaiah 44:25
I allow trouble to come on the special things done by men who lie and speak in pride. I make fools out of those who tell the future using their secret ways. I turn back wise men, and make their learning foolish.
Isaiah 47:10
You trusted in your sin and said, ‘No one sees me.' Your wisdom and learning have led you the wrong way, for you have said in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one besides me.'
Ezekiel 31:16
I will make the nations shake in fear at the sound of its fall when I send it to the place of the dead with those who go down to the grave. Then all the well-watered trees of Eden, the best of Lebanon, will be comforted in the earth below.

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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