I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God has done it, that men should fear before him.
Parallel translations
- KJV I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
- BSB I know that everything God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God does it so that they should fear Him.
- NKJV I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, And nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him.
- NASB I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it. And God has so worked, that people will fear Him.
- NLT And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him.
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
Whatever God does endures forever and cannot be altered, so that people will fear Him. God's works are permanent and sovereign, calling us to reverent awe.
Overview
Qoheleth contrasts the permanence of God's works with the fleeting nature of human effort. Because nothing can be added to or taken from what God does, the proper response is the fear of God. This reverent awe is the heart of the book's message, and it finds its fullest meaning in worshiping the God whose eternal purposes are secured in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 26
- Jas 1:17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow.
- Ps 33:11The counsel of Yahweh stands fast forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
- Rom 11:36For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen.
- Acts 5:39But if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow it, and you would be found even to be fighting against God!”
- Prov 30:6Don’t you add to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.
- Titus 1:2in hope of eternal life, which God, who can’t lie, promised before time began;
- Prov 21:30There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against Yahweh.
- Acts 2:23him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed;
- Prov 19:21There are many plans in a man’s heart, but Yahweh’s counsel will prevail.
- Eph 3:11according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord;
- John 19:10–11Pilate therefore said to him, “Aren’t you speaking to me? Don’t you know that I have power to release you, and have power to crucify you?”
- Dan 11:2–4Now will I show you the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and when he has grown strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece.
- Ps 76:10Surely the wrath of man praises you. The survivors of your wrath are restrained.
- Acts 4:28to do whatever your hand and your council foreordained to happen.
- Ps 119:90–91Your faithfulness is to all generations. You have established the earth, and it remains.
- Ps 64:9All mankind shall be afraid. They shall declare the work of God, and shall wisely ponder what he has done.
- Eccl 7:18It is good that you should take hold of this. Yes, also from that don’t withdraw your hand; for he who fears God will come out of them all.
- Dan 4:34–35At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him who lives forever; for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom from generation to generation.
- Isa 46:10I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done. I say: My counsel will stand, and I will do all that I please.
- Isa 59:18–19According to their deeds, he will repay as appropriate, wrath to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; he will repay the islands their due.
- Eccl 8:12–13Though a sinner commits crimes a hundred times, and lives long, yet surely I know that it will be better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him.
- Eccl 5:7For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, as well as in many words: but you must fear God.
- Isa 10:12–15Therefore it will happen that, when the Lord has performed his whole work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the willful proud heart of the king of Assyria, and the insolence of his haughty looks.
- John 19:28–37After this, Jesus, seeing that all things were now finished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I am thirsty.”
- Dan 8:8The male goat magnified himself exceedingly: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and instead of it there came up four notable horns toward the four winds of the sky.
- Rev 15:4Who wouldn’t fear you, Lord, and glorify your name? For you only are holy. For all the nations will come and worship before you. For your righteous acts have been revealed.”
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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 3:14 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.