Read & explore together
God’s Works Remain Forever
These verses begin with a hard question about what people gain from their work, then turn to what God does. The passage speaks honestly about human limits and clearly about God’s gifts and lasting work.
Understanding the passage
Listening in context
Ecclesiastes 3:9–15 is a wisdom reflection on labour, the burden given to people, and the difference between human understanding and God’s action. It moves from asking about profit, to describing what people cannot find out, to naming joy, doing good, and reverent fear before God.
Ecclesiastes 3:9–15Main takeaway
This passage teaches that people cannot fully find out God’s work, so they should receive daily good as God’s gift and fear before the God whose work lasts forever.
Look closely at the words
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01A question about labour and burdenThe passage opens by asking what profit comes from labour. The question presses readers to consider what work finally achieves.
Explanation
The passage opens by asking what profit comes from labour. The question presses readers to consider what work finally achieves. The next line says the speaker has seen the burden God has given to people. The text names this burden plainly without trying to explain everything about it.
02Beautiful in its time, yet not fully found outGod has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in human hearts. Yet people still cannot find out the work God has done from beginning to end.
Explanation
God has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in human hearts. Yet people still cannot find out the work God has done from beginning to end. The verse holds together a sense of something greater and a real limit on human understanding.
03Rejoice, do good, and receive God’s giftThe speaker says there is nothing better than to rejoice and to do good as long as people live.
Explanation
The speaker says there is nothing better than to rejoice and to do good as long as people live. He also says that eating, drinking, and enjoying good in all labour is the gift of God. These are presented as fitting ways to live within ordinary life.
04What God does lasts, and people should fear before himWhatever God does shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it.
Explanation
Whatever God does shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it. The passage says God has done this so that people should fear before him. It then repeats that what is has been long ago, and what is to be has been long ago, before saying that God seeks again what is passed away.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01How does the passage move from asking about profit in labour to speaking about enjoyment?
Follow the thought from the opening question to the statements that rejoicing, doing good, and enjoying good in labour are God’s gift.
02What two truths appear together in the words about eternity in human hearts?
Notice both parts of the verse: people have eternity in their hearts, yet they cannot find out God’s work from beginning to end.
03What does the passage say about God’s work and its effect on people?
Look for the statements that God’s work lasts forever, cannot be changed, and is done so that people should fear before him.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Ecclesiastes 3:9–15
9What profit has he who works in that in which he labors?
10I have seen the burden which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.
11He 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.
12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live.
13Also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God.
14I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God has done it, that men should fear before him.
15That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago. God seeks again that which is passed away.