I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
Parallel translations
- WEB I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live.
- BSB I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and do good while they live,
- NKJV I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives,
- NASB I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime;
- NLT So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
There is nothing better than to rejoice and do good while we live. Contentment and righteous living are God's gifts to embrace.
Overview
Qoheleth again commends joy, now joined with doing good throughout life. This counsel directs us away from despair toward grateful, active goodness within our God-given days. It reflects the wisdom of receiving life as a gift and living it well before God, a posture deepened by the gospel call to do good and rejoice in the Lord.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Ps 37:3Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
- Eccl 3:22Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
- 1 Tim 6:18That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
- 1 Th 5:15–16See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
- Phil 4:4–9Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
- Acts 20:35I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
- Luke 11:41But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.
- Isa 64:5Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.
- Eccl 9:7–9Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
- Deut 28:63And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The search that finds everything 'under the sun' to be vapor exposes the emptiness of life without God and drives us to the one who alone gives meaning, the resurrection that makes our labor not in vain.
How Ecclesiastes 3:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.