Ecclesiastes 11:8

Joy Death and loss Wisdom

⁶ In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

⁷ Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:

But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.

⁹ Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.

¹⁰ Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: So if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is futile.
KJV: But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.
WEB: Yes, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.
ASV: Yea, if a man live many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.
DARBY: but if a man live many years, [and] rejoice in them all, yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many: all that cometh is vanity.
BLB: For if the man lives many years, let him be glad in them all, and let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many—all that is coming [is] vapor.

ÅB: For om et menneske lever mange år, skal han glede seg i dem alle og komme mørkets dager i hu; for de blir mange. Alt som skal komme, er tomhet.
OTB: Hvis en person lever mange år, la dem glede seg i alle dem; men la dem huske mørkets dager, for de vil være mange. Alt som kommer er tomhet.
B1930: For om et menneske lever mange år, skal han glede sig i dem alle og komme mørkets dager i hu; for de blir mange. Alt som skal komme, er tomhet.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

John 12:35
Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 32:29
O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!
Read in context
Ecclesiastes 7:14
In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.
Read in context
Joel 2:2
A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.
Read in context
Job 14:10
But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
Read in context
Ecclesiastes 12:1–5
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
Read in context
Ecclesiastes 6:11
Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?
Read in context
Ecclesiastes 8:12
Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:
Read in context