Verses 12-13 form a unit. Together they attempt to answer the problems raised in verses 9 to 11: first the question of “profit” from work (verse 9), and then the impossibility of understanding all that God does (verses 10 and 11). The initial verb phrase of verse 12 “I know that” carries over into verse 13: “[I know] also that….” Qoheleth is not making two separate statements here; rather verse 13 repeats in more detail what he says in verse 12. Thus before translation is begun the two verses should be studied together. Note that the Hebrew word for “good” occurs three times and can be treated as a play on words: “[verse 12] there is nothing good for man but … to do good [enjoy] and [verse 13] to find [see] good” in his activities. These occurrences underline the unity of the passage.

Despite the negative phrase opening verse 12, the thrust of the two verses is essentially positive. They mark an important point in the discourse development, as it is here we meet the second call to enjoyment. How we place the verses will be determined by the language into which we are translating. In some languages they follow well as the concluding sentences of the paragraph beginning in verse 9 (see Good News Translation and New Jerusalem Bible). In other languages it may be better to separate them off in their own paragraph, as Jerusalem Bible does. The translator’s language may have a particle that is used to show when the speaker is making an important logical conclusion. Such a particle will be appropriate here. Some languages may prefer to break at this point and show by a section heading that an important conclusion is being made. If this is the case the same heading as that in 2.24 should be used.

Verse 12 is the first of the two occasions in this section on which Qoheleth uses the phrase I know. When he uses this phrase he is saying that he has reached a conclusion on the basis of testing and experience. Good News Translation and New American Bible use “I realized,” and Living Bible suggests “I concluded.” Both are good models.

There is nothing better for them follows the basic pattern of the “There is nothing better … than” sayings (see note under 2.24), the only change being the pronoun them used in place of the noun “mankind.” In this case, the reference of the pronoun is given in the following verse: “every person [or, man]” or “everybody.” In most translations the text will be smoother if this expression appears first in verse 12, with a pronoun in verse 13: “So there is nothing better for people to do than….” Note that Good News Translation uses the inclusive “we” in this passage to refer to humankind. Such a solution can be adopted if it is more natural in the translator’s language. As noted above, despite the negative form nothing better, the thrust of the verse is positive; “The best thing a person can do” or “The only thing a person can do” may be appropriate.

Than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live: the Hebrew begins with the phrase “except that,” which excludes all other possibilities. So Good News Translation “all we can do is” is acceptable. On the verb be happy see comments in 2.1-2, where the noun form “pleasure” is found. “Seek pleasure” is an alternative translation bearing in mind the restricted meaning of the word “pleasure” as it is used by Qoheleth.

Enjoy themselves as long as they live is literally “to do good in one’s life.” Some scholars have understood the Hebrew to be a call to lead an ethical life, and this is probably what Good News Translation “do the best you can” means. But if we follow the pattern of meaning in the “Nothing is better” forms, we can conclude that Qoheleth uses “do” with the same sense as “see” in the other examples of the form (see verse 13 and 2.24). Thus it is more likely that the emphasis is not on doing what is ethical but on enjoying life. It will be helpful if the translator can bring out this idea.

Be happy and enjoy themselves are very close in meaning. If the translator’s language has two expressions like these and such repetition is appreciated, then two verbal expressions can be used. Otherwise translators can combine the Hebrew repetitions into one expression. If this is done then perhaps an emphatic term such as “really” can be added to draw out the full force of the double phrases in Hebrew.

As long as they live is literally “in his life.” Its sense is “throughout the days of his life” (see 2.3, 17). Good News Translation “while we are still alive” calls us to enjoy life while we can, though the verse probably refers to actions that last over a period of time, “throughout their life.”

Some models for translation are:

• I am convinced there is no better way to live than to be happy and enjoy life.

• The best thing for people to do is to be happy and enjoy themselves throughout their lives.

• I believe there is no better thing we can do but to be really happy [or, to really enjoy ourselves] all through life.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Zogbo, Lynell. A Handbook on the Book of Ecclesiates. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .