Ecclesiastes 8:17 — Bible Verse (KJV)

“Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it. ”

Ecclesiastes 8:17 — King James Version (KJV), 1611

Ecclesiastes 8:17 in 6 Bible Translations

Read Ecclesiastes 8:17 in the King James Version (KJV) and 5 other free, public-domain translations side by side.

Ecclesiastes 8:17 WEB — World English Bible (2000)

“then I saw all the work of God, that man can’t find out the work that is done under the sun, because however much a man labors to seek it out, yet he won’t find it. Yes even though a wise man thinks he can comprehend it, he won’t be able to find it.”

Ecclesiastes 8:17 — World English Bible

Ecclesiastes 8:17 ASV — American Standard Version (1901)

“then I beheld all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because however much a man labor to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea moreover, though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it. ”

Ecclesiastes 8:17 — American Standard Version

Ecclesiastes 8:17 YLT — Young's Literal Translation (1862)

“then I considered all the work of God, that man is not able to find out the work that hath been done under the sun, because though man labour to seek, yet he doth not find; and even though the wise man speak of knowing he is not able to find.”

Ecclesiastes 8:17 — Young's Literal Translation

Ecclesiastes 8:17 DBY — Darby Translation (1890)

“then I saw that all [is] the work ofGod, [and] that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because however man may labour to seek [it] out, yet doth he not find [it]; and even, if a wise [man] think to know [it], he shall not be able to find [it] out. ”

Ecclesiastes 8:17 — Darby Translation

Ecclesiastes 8:17 GEN — Geneva Bible (1599)

“Then I behelde the whole worke of God, that man cannot finde out ye worke that is wrought vnder the sunne: for the which man laboureth to seeke it, and cannot finde it: yea, and though the wise man thinke to knowe it, he cannot finde it. ”

Ecclesiastes 8:17 — Geneva Bible

Ecclesiastes 8:17 in Context — Ecclesiastes 8

15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

16 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:)

17 Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.

Read the full chapter: Ecclesiastes 8 — No Condemnation in Christ Jesus →

What Does Ecclesiastes 8:17 Mean?

Ecclesiastes 8:17 is a verse from the Book of Ecclesiastes, part of the Old Testament. It appears in Ecclesiastes chapter 8. Use The Living Sword's word-by-word study mode to explore every word in the original Hebrew and Aramaic.

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