1734 verses about Life

The fear of Yahweh is a fountain of life, turning people from the snares of death.

The wicked is brought down in his calamity, but in death, the righteous has a refuge.

A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but deceit in it crushes the spirit.

There is stern discipline for one who forsakes the way: whoever hates reproof shall die.

Sheol and Abaddon are before Yahweh— how much more then the hearts of the children of men!

The path of life leads upward for the wise, to keep him from going downward to Sheol.

The ear that listens to reproof lives, and will be at home among the wise.

In the light of the king’s face is life. His favor is like a cloud of the spring rain.

The highway of the upright is to depart from evil. He who keeps his way preserves his soul.

Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it, but the punishment of fools is their folly.

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

Gray hair is a crown of glory. It is attained by a life of righteousness.

A man’s spirit will sustain him in sickness, but a crushed spirit, who can bear?

A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.

A man’s stomach is filled with the fruit of his mouth. With the harvest of his lips he is satisfied.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit.

He who gets wisdom loves his own soul. He who keeps understanding shall find good.

He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is contemptuous in his ways shall die.

The fear of Yahweh leads to life, then contentment; he rests and will not be touched by trouble.

The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion. He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life.

The glory of young men is their strength. The splendor of old men is their gray hair.

He who follows after righteousness and kindness finds life, righteousness, and honor.

Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles.

A good name is more desirable than great riches, and loving favor is better than silver and gold.

The result of humility and the fear of Yahweh is wealth, honor, and life.

Listen to your father who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when she is old.

Rescue those who are being led away to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!

for a righteous man falls seven times, and rises up again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

Don’t boast about tomorrow; for you don’t know what a day may bring.

A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment. One who hates ill-gotten gain will have long days.

A man who is tormented by life blood will be a fugitive until death; no one will support him.

The bloodthirsty hate a man of integrity; and they seek the life of the upright.

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

One generation goes, and another generation comes; but the earth remains forever.

The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it rises.

That which has been is that which shall be; and that which has been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

Is there a thing of which it may be said, “Behold, this is new?” It has been long ago, in the ages which were before us.

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

I said of laughter, “It is foolishness”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?”

I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives.

Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.

The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness—and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all.

Then I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.

For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory for ever, since in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool!

So I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.

For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.

For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?

For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man can’t find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end.

I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live.

Also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God.

That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago: and God seeks again that which is passed away.

I said in my heart, “As for the sons of men, God tests them, so that they may see that they themselves are like animals.

For that which happens to the sons of men happens to animals. Even one thing happens to them. As the one dies, so the other dies. Yes, they have all one breath; and man has no advantage over the animals: for all is vanity.

All go to one place. All are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.

Therefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion: for who can bring him to see what will be after him?

Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive.

I saw all the living who walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the other, who succeeded him.

Moreover the profit of the earth is for all. The king profits from the field.

Those riches perish by misfortune, and if he has fathered a son, there is nothing in his hand.

As he came out of his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.

Behold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, in which he labors under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion.

Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God.

For he shall not often reflect on the days of his life; because God occupies him with the joy of his heart.

If a man fathers a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with good, and moreover he has no burial; I say, that a stillborn child is better than he:

Yes, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet fails to enjoy good, don’t all go to one place?

For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living?

For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spends like a shadow? For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?

A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one’s birth.

It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this to heart.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent for those who see the sun.

For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.

All this I have seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.

Don’t be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time?

There is no man who has power over the spirit to contain the spirit; neither does he have power over the day of death. There is no discharge in war; neither shall wickedness deliver those who practice it.

So I saw the wicked buried. Indeed they came also from holiness. They went and were forgotten in the city where they did this. This also is vanity.

Though 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.

But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he lengthen days like a shadow; because he doesn’t fear God.

There is a vanity which is done on the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked. Again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

Then I commended mirth, because a man has no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be joyful: for that will accompany him in his labor all the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.

For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn’t know it; all is before them.

All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn’t sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath, as he who fears an oath.

This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

For to him who is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten.

Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.

Go your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works.

Let your garments be always white, and don’t let your head lack oil.

Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity: for that is your portion in life, and in your labor in which you labor under the sun.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going.

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.

For man also doesn’t know his time. As the fish that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them.

A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes the life glad; and money is the answer for all things.