Ecclesiastes 3:14 (LSB)

Passage

I know that everything God does will be forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it—God has so worked that men should fear Him.

Nearby Context

Ecclesiastes 3:12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to be glad and to do good in one’s lifetime;

Ecclesiastes 3:13 moreover, that every man who eats and drinks and sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God.

Ecclesiastes 3:14 I know that everything God does will be forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it—God has so worked that men should fear Him.

Ecclesiastes 3:15 That which is has been already and that which will be has already been, yet God seeks what is pursued.

Ecclesiastes 3:16 Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "everything", "does", "forever", "nothing", "take", "worked", and "should". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "everything" and "does", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "moreover that every man who eats and..." into verse 15's "That which is has been already and...", so "everything" and "does" 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 "everything" and "does" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.