SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 2006 – Page 2

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 2:23

2:23a Indeed, all his days are filled with grief, and his task is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest.

They get days full of pain. Work makes them so stressed that even at night their minds cannot relax.
-or-
Pain and hard work every day ⌊that’s what they get⌋ . At night they cannot sleep ⌊because they worry so much⌋ .
-or-
As long as you live, everything you do brings nothing but worry and heartache. Even at night your mind can’t rest. (Good News Translation)

2:23b This too is futile.

This is all so pointless.
-or-
This also is so frustrating!
-or-
This too is of no benefit.

© 2006 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 4:7

4:7 Again, I saw futility under the sun.

I thought about something ⌊else⌋ in this world that is pointless.
-or-
I have noticed something else in life that is useless. (Good News Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 6:3

6:3a A man may father a hundred children and live for many years;

⌊Imagine⌋ someone who had a huge number ⌊of children⌋ and lived for many years, to an advanced age.
-or-
A person could have lots and lots of children and live a very long life.

6:3b yet no matter how long he lives,

However, his long life means nothing
-or-
But even if he lives until he is very old, (EEB)

6:3c if he is unsatisfied with his prosperity and does not even receive a proper burial,

if he was not satisfied with the good things he had and did not ⌊even⌋ have a ⌊proper⌋ burial.
-or-
he may not enjoy a good life. After he dies, people may not bury him with honour. His life would be useless. (EEB)

6:3d I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.

⌊Then⌋ I think that it would be better if he had been born dead.
-or-
Even a child that is dead at birth is happier than that person. That is what I think. (EEB)
-or-
I think ⌊such a person is a very unhappy person⌋ . It is better to die at birth ⌊than to live such a life⌋ .

6:3a-d (combined)

You may live a long time and have a hundred children. But a child born dead is better off than you, unless you enjoy life and have a decent burial. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
You may live for a long time and you may have many children. But you may not enjoy your life. When you die, people may not bury you properly. A child that is dead at its birth ⌊does not have a good life.⌋ But your life would not be as good as that dead child. That’s what I think.
-or-

⌊People think, that⌋ if someone was rich, had many children and lived a long life that he was a happy person. But I tell you that if that person did not enjoy his life and was not buried with honor then he was a very unhappy person. It would be better to be born dead than to live such a life.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 7:23

7:23a All this I tested by wisdom, saying,

I have used wisdom to study all these things. (EEB)
-or-
I used wisdom’s principles to learn more about all these things.
-or-
I have examined all this using the principles of wisdom. (FBV)

7:23b “I resolve to be wise.”

I thought ⌊to myself⌋ , “I will become a wise person.”
-or-
I wanted to be wise,

7:23c But it was beyond me.

But I was far from ⌊being wise⌋ .
-or-
but I couldn’t do it. (English Easy-to-Read Version)
-or-
But there is still so much that I cannot explain.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 9:9

9:9a Enjoy life with your beloved wife

You love your wife. So enjoy life with her. (New International Reader’s Version)
-or-
Live happily with your beloved wife
-or-
Love your wife and enjoy your life together with her. (EEB)

9:9b all the days of the fleeting life that God has given you under the sun—all your fleeting days.

Enjoy all the days of your pointless life which He has given you under the sun, all your pointless days.
-or-
through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Life is short. ⌊So enjoy⌋ each day of this brief life that God has given you in this world.

9:9a-b (reordered)

Life is short, and you love your wife, so enjoy being with her. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Love your wife and enjoy with her the short and pointless life that God gives you.

9:9c For this is your portion in life and in your labor under the sun.

⌊Do this⌋ because that is what you have ⌊to enjoy⌋ while you spend your life working hard in this world.
-or-
The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil. (New Living Translation (2004))

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 11:3

11:3a If the clouds are full, they will pour out rain upon the earth;

When clouds are full of water, rain will fall on the earth. (EEB)
-or-
Rain clouds always bring rain, (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
When clouds are heavy, the rains come down. (New Living Translation (2004))

11:3b whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it will lie.

A tree can fall over towards the north or the south. But it will stay where it falls.
-or-
trees always stay wherever they fall. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
No matter which direction a tree falls, it will lie where it fell. (Good News Translation)

11:3a-b (reordered)

There are some things you can be sure of. If clouds are full of rain, they will pour water on the earth. If a tree falls—to the south or to the north—then it will stay where it falls. (English Easy-to-Read Version)
-or-
It is always true that when clouds are full of water, they pour rain on the earth. Similarly, wherever a tree falls on the ground, that is where it will remain. (Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 2:2

2:2a I said of laughter, “It is folly,”

⌊So⌋ I say that joking/playing ⌊all the time⌋ is stupid.
-or-
I decided that it was silly to laugh ⌊all the time⌋

2:2b and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”

I asked myself, “What does pleasure accomplish?” ⌊Nothing.⌋
-or-
and I enjoyed myself but it was worthless.
-or-
If I only try to please myself, it does not really help me. (EEB)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 3:8

3:8a a time to love and a time to hate,

⌊There is⌋ a time for loving, and a time for hating.
-or-

⌊There is also⌋ a time ⌊when people⌋ love ⌊others⌋ and a time ⌊when people⌋ hate ⌊others⌋ .
-or-

⌊People⌋ love ⌊each other⌋ at certain times and ⌊people⌋ hate ⌊each other⌋ at certain times.

3:8b a time for war and a time for peace.

⌊There is⌋ a time for war, and a time for peace.
-or-

⌊There is also⌋ a time ⌊when people⌋ make war and a time ⌊when people⌋ are at peace.
-or-

⌊People⌋ go to war at certain times and ⌊people⌋ make peace at certain times.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 2006