Ecclesiastes 3:14 (DBY)

Passage

I know that whatever God doeth, it shall be for ever; there is nothing to be added to it, nor anything to be taken from it; and God doeth [it], that [men] should fear before him.

Nearby Context

Ecclesiastes 3:12 I know that there is nothing good for them but to rejoice and to do well in their life;

Ecclesiastes 3:13 yea also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labour, it is the gift of God.

Ecclesiastes 3:14 I know that whatever God doeth, it shall be for ever; there is nothing to be added to it, nor anything to be taken from it; and God doeth [it], that [men] should fear before him.

Ecclesiastes 3:15 That which is was long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; and God bringeth back again that which is past.

Ecclesiastes 3:16 And moreover I saw under the sun, that in the place of judgment, wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "whatever", "doeth", "shall", "nothing", "added", "anything", and "taken". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "whatever" and "doeth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "yea also that every man should eat..." into verse 15's "That which is was long ago and...", so "whatever" and "doeth" belong inside that flow. In Ecclesiastes context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "whatever" and "doeth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.