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Ecclesiastes 8:17

17 and I saw every work of God, I concluded that aman cannot discover the work which has been done under the sun. Even though man should seek laboriously, he will not discover; and bthough the wise man should say, “I know,” he cannot discover.

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Ecclesiastes 8:17 — The New International Version (NIV)

17 then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it.

Ecclesiastes 8:17 — English Standard Version (ESV)

17 then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.

Ecclesiastes 8:17 — King James Version (KJV 1900)

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.

Ecclesiastes 8:17 — New Living Translation (NLT)

17 I realized that no one can discover everything God is doing under the sun. Not even the wisest people discover everything, no matter what they claim.

Ecclesiastes 8:17 — The New King James Version (NKJV)

17 then I saw all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. For though a man labors to discover it, yet he will not find it; moreover, though a wise man attempts to know it, he will not be able to find it.

Ecclesiastes 8:17 — New Century Version (NCV)

17 I also saw all that God has done. Nobody can understand what God does here on earth. No matter how hard people try to understand it, they cannot. Even if wise people say they understand, they cannot; no one can really understand it.

Ecclesiastes 8:17 — American Standard Version (ASV)

17 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 — 1890 Darby Bible (DARBY)

17 then I saw that all is the work of God, 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 — GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

17 then I saw everything that God has done. No one is able to grasp the work that is done under the sun. However hard a person may search for it, he will not find ⸤its meaning⸥. Even though a wise person claims to know, he is not able to grasp it. 

Ecclesiastes 8:17 — The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

17 I observed all the work of God and concluded that man is unable to discover the work that is done under the sun. Even though a man labors hard to explore it, he cannot find it; even if the wise man claims to know it, he is unable to discover it.

Ecclesiastes 8:17 — The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

17 then I saw all the work of God, that no one can find out what is happening under the sun. However much they may toil in seeking, they will not find it out; even though those who are wise claim to know, they cannot find it out.

Ecclesiastes 8:17 — The Lexham English Bible (LEB)

17 Then I saw all the work of God—man is not able to discover the work that is done under the sun. Although man may toil in seeking, he cannot find it. Even if a wise man claims that he knows it, he cannot find it.

Ecclesiastes 8:17 — New International Reader’s Version (1998) (NIrV)

17 I saw everything God has done. No one can understand what happens on earth. Man might try very hard to figure it out. But he still can’t discover what it all means. A wise man might claim he knows. But he can’t really understand it either.


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