Ecclesiastes 4:16

Discouragement and depression Authority and leadership

¹⁴ For the youth has come from the prison to the kingship, though he was born poor in his own kingdom.

¹⁵ I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed this second one, the youth who succeeded the king.

There is no limit to all the people who were before them. Yet the successor will not be celebrated by those who come even later. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

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

Compare

BSB: There is no limit to all the people who were before them. Yet the successor will not be celebrated by those who come even later. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
KJV: There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
WEB: There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was—yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
ASV: There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was: yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
DARBY: [There is] no end of all the people, of all that stood before them; those however that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after the wind.
BLB: [There is] no end to all the people, to all who were before their faces, yet those coming after will not rejoice in him. Surely this also [is] vapor and a striving after the wind.

ÅB: Det var ingen ende på alt det folk han var fører for. Allikevel har etterkommerne ingen glede av ham, for også dette er tomhet og jag etter vind.
OTB: Det er ingen ende på alle de folk som var før dem, men de som kommer senere vil ikke være fornøyde med ham. Også dette er tomhet, en jag etter vinden.
B1930: Det var ingen ende på alt det folk han var fører for. Allikevel har efterkommerne ingen glede av ham, for også dette er tomhet og jag efter vind.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Ecclesiastes 1:14
I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.
Read in context
1 Kings 1:40
All the people followed him, playing flutes and rejoicing with such a great joy that the earth was split by the sound.
Read in context
Ecclesiastes 2:17
So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
Read in context
2 Samuel 15:12–13
While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from his hometown of Giloh. So the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept increasing.
Read in context
1 Kings 1:5–7
At that time Adonijah, David’s son by Haggith, began to exalt himself, saying, “I will be king!” And he acquired chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run ahead of him.
Read in context
2 Samuel 18:7–8
There the people of Israel were defeated by David’s servants, and the slaughter was great that day—twenty thousand men.
Read in context
Ecclesiastes 2:11
Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
Read in context
2 Samuel 19:9
And all the people throughout the tribes of Israel were arguing, “The king rescued us from the hand of our enemies and delivered us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled the land because of Absalom.
Read in context