Ecclesiastes 8:16

King James Version (KJV)

When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:)

Translations

Ecclesiastes 8:16 - Amplified Bible

When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to see the business activity {and} the painful effort that take place upon the earth--how neither day nor night some men's eyes sleep--

Ecclesiastes 8:16 - American Standard Version

When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes),

Ecclesiastes 8:16 - Bible in Basic English

When I gave my mind to the knowledge of wisdom and to seeing the business which is done on the earth (and there are those whose eyes see not sleep by day or by night),

Ecclesiastes 8:16 - Darby Bible

When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes),

Ecclesiastes 8:16 - English Standard Version

When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one's eyes see sleep,

Ecclesiastes 8:16 - King James Version

When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:)

Ecclesiastes 8:16 - La Biblia de las Americas

Cuando apliqué mi corazòn a conocer la sabidurìa y a ver la tarea que ha sido hecha sobre la tierra (aunque uno no durmiera ni de dìa ni de noche),

Ecclesiastes 8:16 - The Message

When I determined to load up on wisdom and examine everything taking place on earth, I realized that if you keep your eyes open day and night without even blinking, you’ll still never figure out the meaning of what God is doing on this earth. Search as hard as you like, you’re not going to make sense of it. No matter how smart you are, you won’t get to the bottom of it.

Ecclesiastes 8:16 - New American Standard Bible

When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the task which has been done on the earth (even though one should never sleep day or night),

Ecclesiastes 8:16 - Nueva Biblia Latinoamericana de Hoy

Cuando apliqué mi corazòn a conocer la sabidurìa y a ver la tarea que ha sido hecha sobre la tierra (aunque uno no durmiera ni de dìa ni de noche),

Ecclesiastes 8:16 - World English Bible

When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on the earth (for also there is that neither day nor night sees sleep with his eyes),

Ecclesiastes 8:16 - Young's Living Translation

When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that hath been done on the earth, (for there is also a spectator in whose eyes sleep is not by day and by night),

Ecclesiastes 8:16 - Additional Comments

Wisdom is thinking like God. Solomon had focused on getting to know wisdom (God's thoughts) and to understand the affairs of men. I.e., to understand a proper perspective to both heaven and earth. And, his effort had been endless, to the extent of no sleep.
The result (verse 17) is failure. We cannot fully comprehend or explain it, we cannot discover it, we cannot find it. There is no amount of effort or humanly wisdom that can approach this knowledge. How vain, then, is it when God's decisions are questioned, and, too, the results (troubles) we see on earth, for we cannot fully grasp the meaning of it. It is much higher than us, it is beyond us. We must relax and trust God in how He works in our lives.

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