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Ecclesiastes 4:3
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KJ21
yea, better than both of them is he who hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
ASV
yea, better than them both did I esteem him that hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
AMP
But better off than either of them is the one who has not yet been born, who has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
AMPC
But better than them both [I thought] is he who has not yet been born, who has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
BRG
Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
CSB
But better than either of them is the one who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.
CSBA
But better than either of them is the one who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.
CEB
But happier than both are those who have never existed, who haven’t witnessed the terrible things that happen under the sun.
CJB
but happier than either of them is the one who has not yet been born, because he has not yet seen the evil things that are done under the sun.
CEV
But those who have never been born are better off than anyone else, because they have never seen the terrible things that happen on this earth.”
DARBY
and more fortunate than both is he who hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
DRA
And I judged him happier than them both, that is not yet born, nor hath seen the evils that are done under the sun.
ERV
And it is even better for those who die at birth, because they never saw the evil that is done in this world.
EASY
But people who have not yet been born are even happier! They have not seen the evil things that happen on the earth.
EHV
But better than either of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil done under the sun.
ESV
But better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
ESVUK
But better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
EXB
But those who have never ·been born [existed; L been] are better off still; they have not seen the evil that is done ·here on earth [L under the sun; 1:3].
GNV
And I count him better than them both, which hath not yet been: for he hath not seen the evil works which are wrought under the sun.
GW
But the person who hasn’t been born yet is better off than both of them. He hasn’t seen the evil that is done under the sun.
GNT
But better off than either are those who have never been born, who have never seen the injustice that goes on in this world.
HCSB
But better than either of them is the one who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.
ICB
But those who have never been born are better off still. They have not seen the evil that is done here on earth.
ISV
Better than both of them is someone who has not yet been born, because he hasn’t experienced evil on earth.
JUB
And I thought that better is he than both of them who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil works that are done under the sun.
KJV
Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
AKJV
Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
LSB
But better off than both of them is the one who never has been, who has never seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
LEB
But better off than both of them is the one who has not yet been born and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
TLB
And most fortunate of all are those who have never been born and have never seen all the evil and crime throughout the earth.
MSG
Next I turned my attention to all the outrageous violence that takes place on this planet—the tears of the victims, no one to comfort them; the iron grip of oppressors, no one to rescue the victims from them. So I congratulated the dead who are already dead instead of the living who are still alive. But luckier than the dead or the living is the person who has never even been, who has never seen the bad business that takes place on this earth.
MEV
And still better than both is he who has not been, who has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
NOG
But the person who hasn’t been born yet is better off than both of them. He hasn’t seen the evil that is done under the sun.
NABRE
And better off than both is the yet unborn, who has not seen the wicked work that is done under the sun.
NASB
But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.
NASB1995
But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.
NCB
But happier than both of these is the one yet unborn who has not witnessed the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
NCV
But those who have never been born are better off still; they have not seen the evil that is done here on earth.
NET
But better than both is the one who has not been born and has not seen the evil things that are done on earth.
NIRV
But someone who hasn’t been born yet is better off than the dead or the living. That’s because that person hasn’t seen the evil things that are done on earth.
NIV
But better than both is the one who has never been born, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.
NIVUK
But better than both is the one who has never been born, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.
NKJV
Yet, better than both is he who has never existed, Who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
NLV
But better than both is the one who has never been, who has never seen the wrong that is done under the sun.
NLT
But most fortunate of all are those who are not yet born. For they have not seen all the evil that is done under the sun.
NRSVA
but better than both is the one who has not yet been, and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
NRSVACE
but better than both is the one who has not yet been, and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
NRSVCE
but better than both is the one who has not yet been, and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
NRSVUE
but better than both is the one who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
OJB
Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the ma’aseh harah that is done under the shemesh.
RGT
And I count him who has not even been born as better than them both. For he has not seen the evil works which are wrought under the Sun.
RSV
but better than both is he who has not yet been, and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
RSVCE
but better than both is he who has not yet been, and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
TLV
Yet better than both is one who has not yet been, who has never seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
VOICE
and, even better, are those who were never born in the first place. At least they have never had to witness all of the injustices that take place under the sun.
WEB
Yes, better than them both is him who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
WYC
and I deemed him, that was not born yet, and saw not the evils that be done under the sun, to be more blessed than ever either. (and I judged him, who was not yet born, and saw not the evils that be done under the sun, to be more blessed than either the living or the dead.)
YLT
And better than both of them [is] he who hath not yet been, in that he hath not seen the evil work that hath been done under the sun.
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Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved. ; Christian Standard Bible Anglicised (CSBA) Copyright © 2024 by Holman Bible Publishers.; Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible; Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved. ; Contemporary English Version (CEV) Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.; Darby Translation (DARBY) Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?); Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA) Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?); Easy-to-Read Version (ERV) Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International; EasyEnglish Bible (EASY) EasyEnglish Bible Copyright © MissionAssist 2019 - Charitable Incorporated Organisation 1162807. Used by permission. All rights reserved.; Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV) The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.; English Standard Version (ESV) The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.; English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.; Expanded Bible (EXB) The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved. ; 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts. ; GOD’S WORD Translation (GW) Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God’s Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.; Good News Translation (GNT) Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.; Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.; International Children’s Bible (ICB) The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.; International Standard Version (ISV) Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.; Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB) Copyright © 2013, 2020 by Ransom Press International ; King James Version (KJV) Public Domain; Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV) KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.; Legacy Standard Bible (LSB) Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.; Lexham English Bible (LEB) 2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software; Living Bible (TLB) The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.; The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. 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All rights reserved.; New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition (NRSVACE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.; New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.; New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE) New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.; Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB) Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International; Revised Geneva Translation (RGT) © 2019, 2024 by Five Talents Audio. All rights reserved.; Revised Standard Version (RSV) Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.; Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.; Tree of Life Version (TLV) Copyright © 2014 by the Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society (DBA: Tree of Life Bible Society). Used by permission. All rights reserved. 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