SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 2006 – Page 3

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 5:2

5:2a Do not be quick to speak,

Pause ⌊to think⌋ before you speak,
-or-
You should think before you speak. (EASY2015)

5:2b and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God.

and be cautious when you talk to God,
-or-
You should think before you promise something to God. (Easy English Bible)

5:2c After all, God is in heaven and you are on earth.

because God in heaven ⌊is completely strong⌋ , and you on earth ⌊are weak⌋ .
-or-

⌊After all⌋ God lives in heaven. ⌊He knows everything and can do anything.⌋ But you are ⌊just a human and you⌋ live on this earth.

5:2d So let your words be few.

Therefore you ⌊should only⌋ say a few words ⌊when you speak to God⌋ .
-or-
So you need to say only a few things to him. (English Easy-to-Read Version)
-or-
Therefore do not keep talking non-stop.

5:2a-d (reordered)

God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore, do not be quick with your mouth or hasty in your heart to say anything to God. Let your words be few.

© 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 7:2

7:2a It is better to enter a house of mourning than a house of feasting,

There is more benefit to going to a funeral, than going to a feast,
-or-
Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. (New Living Translation (2004))

7:2b since death is the end of every man, and the living should take this to heart.

because everyone will die. Therefore everyone should think about death.
-or-
For you are going to die, and it is a good thing to think about it while there is still time. (TLB)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 8:5

8:5a Whoever keeps his command will come to no harm,

If you do what the king commands you will avoid trouble.
-or-
Those who obey him will not be punished. (TLB)
-or-
People will be safe if they obey his command. (English Easy-to-Read Version)

8:5b and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure.

A wise person knows the proper time and procedure ⌊to do something⌋ .
-or-
A wise person knows the proper time ⌊to do something⌋ , as well as the ⌊probable⌋ outcome.
-or-
The mind of a wise person will know the right time and the right way to act. (God’s Word)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 10:2

10:2a A wise man’s heart inclines to the right,

The hearts of wise people lead them on the right path. (New International Reader’s Version)
-or-
It is natural for the wise to do the right thing (Good News Translation)

10:2b but the heart of a fool to the left.

But the hearts of foolish people take them down the wrong path. (New International Reader’s Version)
-or-
and for fools to do the wrong thing. (Good News Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 12:4

12:4a when the doors to the street are shut

Remember your Creator before the front doors are closed. (New International Reader’s Version)
-or-
Your ears will be deaf to the noise in the streets, (New Century Version)

12:4b and the sound of the mill fades away,

⌊And remember him before⌋ the sound of the mill fades.
-or-
and you will barely hear the millstone grinding grain. (New Century Version)
-or-
Even the stone grinding your grain will seem quiet to you. (English Easy-to-Read Version)

12:4c when one rises at the sound of a bird

And ⌊remember him before⌋ you wake up early when the birds are singing,
-or-
You’ll wake up when a bird starts singing, (New Century Version)

12:4d and all the daughters of song grow faint,

but you can hardly hear them.
-or-
but you will barely hear singing. (New Century Version)

12:4a-d (combined)

⌊One day your ears will be deaf⌋ . You will no longer hear the noise of the streets or the sound of the mill grinding ⌊grain⌋ . You will wake up ⌊as early as⌋ the birds, but you will not be able to hear their songs. ⌊Remember your Creator before this time comes.⌋
-or-
There comes a time when we ⌊will grow old and⌋ lose our hearing. ⌊It will be as if⌋ the doors to the street are shut and we will hardly hear any sound. ⌊We will⌋ not even hear the noisy mill’s grinding nor the birds singing. Even though ⌊we will wake up early as a bird⌋ .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 2:13

2:13 And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness:

I have concluded that it is better to be wise than to be foolish, just as light is better than darkness.
-or-
I know that light is better than the dark. And I discovered that it is better to be wise. To be a fool is worse.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 3:19

3:19a For the fates of both men and beasts are the same: As one dies, so dies the other—

That is, all people will die, just like animals die.
-or-
We all must die, humans and animals.
-or-
For the destiny of humankind and the destiny of animals are one and the same. As one dies, so dies the other. (TLF)

3:19b they all have the same breath. Man has no advantage over the animals,

⌊God gave⌋ them all the same life, so people have no advantage over animals.
-or-
Humans have the same physical life as animals. ⌊In this regard⌋ we are no better than animals.
-or-
We all breathe for a time and then we die. (EEB)

3:19c since everything is futile.

Everything ⌊in their lives⌋ is pointless.
-or-
This is all so empty and worthless.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 5:13

5:13a There is a grievous evil I have seen under the sun:

I have noticed a terrible thing in this world that causes suffering.
-or-
There is a very bad/sad thing that I have seen happen in this life.

5:13b wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner,

Riches had a bad effect on the person who possessed them.
-or-
People get rich, but it is not good for them.

Step into the multitudes of languages of the Bible and join the worldwide conversation!

Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 2006