Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, December 20th, 2025
the Third Week of Advent
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Read the Bible

Young's Literal Translation

Ecclesiastes 3:10

I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- The Topic Concordance - God;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Time;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Garden;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, Book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Exercise;   Providence;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Aibu (Ibu);  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for September 23;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I have seen the task that God has given the children of Adam to keep them occupied.
Hebrew Names Version
I have seen the burden which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.
King James Version
I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
English Standard Version
I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with.
New American Standard Bible
I have seen the task which God has given the sons of mankind with which to occupy themselves.
New Century Version
I saw the hard work God has given people to do.
Amplified Bible
I have seen the task which God has given to the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.
World English Bible
I have seen the burden which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.
Geneva Bible (1587)
I haue seene the trauaile that God hath giuen to ye sonnes of men to humble them thereby.
Legacy Standard Bible
I have seen the endeavor which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.
Berean Standard Bible
I have seen the burden that God has laid on men to occupy them.
Contemporary English Version
I have seen what difficult things God demands of us.
Complete Jewish Bible
I have seen the task God has given humanity to keep us occupied.
Darby Translation
I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of men to toil in.
Easy-to-Read Version
I saw all the hard work God gave us to do.
George Lamsa Translation
I have seen the toil which the LORD has given to the sons of men to be engaged therewith.
Good News Translation
I know the heavy burdens that God has laid on us.
Lexham English Bible
I have seen the busyness God gives to humans to preoccupy them.
Literal Translation
I have seen the task which God has given to the sons of men, to be humbled by it.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For as touchinge the trauayle and carefulnesse which God hath geuen vnto me, I se that he hath geuen it them, to be exercised in it.
American Standard Version
I have seen the travail which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.
Bible in Basic English
I saw the work which God has put on the sons of man.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
I have seen the task which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.
King James Version (1611)
I haue seene the trauaile which God hath giuen to the sonnes of men, to be exercised in it.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For as touchyng the trauayle and carefulnesse which God hath geuen vnto men, I see that he hath geuen it them to be exercised in it.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
I have seen all the trouble, which God has given to the sons of men to be troubled with.
English Revised Version
I have seen the travail which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
I siy the turment, which God yaf to the sones of men, that thei be occupied therynne.
Update Bible Version
I have seen the travail which God has given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
Webster's Bible Translation
I have seen the labor, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
New English Translation
I have observed the burden that God has given to people to keep them occupied.
New King James Version
I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied.
New Living Translation
I have seen the burden God has placed on us all.
New Life Bible
I have seen the work which God has given the sons of men to do.
New Revised Standard
I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
I looked at the employment which God hath given to the sons of men, to work therein:
Douay-Rheims Bible
I have seen the trouble, which God hath given the sons of men to be exercised in it.
Revised Standard Version
I have seen the business that God has given to the sons of men to be busy with.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.

Contextual Overview

1 To everything -- a season, and a time to every delight under the heavens: 2 A time to bring forth, And a time to die. A time to plant, And a time to eradicate the planted. 3 A time to slay, And a time to heal, A time to break down, And a time to build up. 4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh. A time to mourn, And a time to skip. 5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to heap up stones. A time to embrace, And a time to be far from embracing. 6 A time to seek, And a time to destroy. A time to keep, And a time to cast away. 7 A time to rend, And a time to sew. A time to be silent, And a time to speak. 8 A time to love, And a time to hate. A time of war, And a time of peace. 9 What advantage hath the doer in that which he is labouring at? 10 I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ecclesiastes 1:13, Ecclesiastes 1:14, Ecclesiastes 2:26, Genesis 3:19, 1 Thessalonians 2:9, 2 Thessalonians 3:8

Reciprocal: Ecclesiastes 8:9 - this

Cross-References

Genesis 2:25
And they are both of them naked, the man and his wife, and they are not ashamed of themselves.
Genesis 3:7
and the eyes of them both are opened, and they know that they [are] naked, and they sew fig-leaves, and make to themselves girdles.
Genesis 3:17
And to the man He said, `Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife, and dost eat of the tree concerning which I have charged thee, saying, Thou dost not eat of it, cursed [is] the ground on thine account; in sorrow thou dost eat of it all days of thy life,
Genesis 3:18
and thorn and bramble it doth bring forth to thee, and thou hast eaten the herb of the field;
Exodus 3:6
He saith also, `I [am] the God of thy father, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob;' and Moses hideth his face, for he is afraid to look towards God.
Exodus 32:25
And Moses seeth the people that it [is] unbridled, for Aaron hath made it unbridled for contempt among its withstanders,
Job 23:15
Therefore, from His presence I am troubled, I consider, and am afraid of Him.
Psalms 119:120
Trembled from Thy fear hath my flesh, And from Thy judgments I have been afraid!
Isaiah 33:14
Afraid in Zion have been sinners, Seized hath trembling the profane: Who doth dwell for us -- consuming fire, Who doth dwell for us -- burnings of the age?
Isaiah 47:3
Revealed is thy nakedness, yea, seen is thy reproach, Vengeance I take, and I meet not a man.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I have seen the travail which God hath given to the sons of men,.... The pains and trouble they are at to get a little wisdom and knowledge, Ecclesiastes 1:13; and so to obtain riches and honour, peace and plenty, which sometimes they do obtain, and sometimes not; and when they do, do not keep them long, for there is a time for everything. This the wise man had observed, in a variety of instances; and he considered the end of God in it, which was for men

to be exercised in it, or "by it"; or "to afflict" or "humble [them] by it" l; to let them see that all their toil and labour signified little; all depended on a divine blessing, and no happiness was to be had in the creatures; all was vanity and vexation of spirit;

Ecclesiastes 1:13- :.

l לענות בו "ad affligendum se in ea", Montanus; "ut eos adfligat in ea, sc. per eam", Rambachius; "ut ea redderet humiles", Tigurine version.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 3:10. I have seen the travail — Man is a sinner; and, because he is such, he suffers.


 
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