Ecclesiastes 8:17

Ecclesiastes 8:17 in 6 English translations. Each links through to the full chapter for context.

New International Version (NIV)

17then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it.

Read Ecclesiastes 8 in NIV · About the NIV

New American Standard Bible - NASB (NASB2020)

17and I saw every work of God, I concluded that one cannot discover the work which has been done under the sun. Even though a person laboriously seeks, he will not discover; and even if the wise person claims to know, he cannot discover.

Read Ecclesiastes 8 in NASB2020 · About the NASB2020

New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)

17and I saw every work of God, I concluded that man cannot discover the work which has been done under the sun. Even though man should seek laboriously, he will not discover; and though the wise man should say, “I know,” he cannot discover.

Read Ecclesiastes 8 in NASB1995 · About the NASB1995

Amplified Bible (AMP)

17and I saw all the work of God, I concluded that man cannot discover the work that is done under the sun. Even though man may labor in seeking, he will not discover; and [more than that], though a wise man thinks and claims he knows, he will not be able to find it out. [Deut 29:29; Rom 11:33]

Read Ecclesiastes 8 in AMP · About the AMP

Berean Standard Bible (BSB)

17I saw every work of God, and that a man is unable to comprehend the work that is done under the sun. Despite his efforts to search it out, he cannot find its meaning; even if the wise man claims to know, he is unable to comprehend.

Read Ecclesiastes 8 in BSB · About the BSB

New International Reader’s Version (NIrV)

17I saw everything God has done. No one can understand what happens on earth. People might try very hard to figure it out. But they still can’t discover what it all means. Wise people might claim they know. But they can’t really understand it either.

Read Ecclesiastes 8 in NIrV · About the NIrV