"{There is} nothing better for a man, {than} that he should eat and drink, and {that} he should make his soul enjoy good …" — Ecclesiastes 2:24

Ecclesiastes 2:24 · KJV

“{There is} nothing better for a man, {than} that he should eat and drink, and {that} he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it {was} from the hand of God. {should make...: or, delight his senses}”

— Ecclesiastes 2:24

Verse 23

For all his days {are} sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

Verse 25

For who can eat, or who else can hasten {hereunto}, more than I?

Ecclesiastes 2 — Context

For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?

For all his days {are} sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

{There is} nothing better for a man, {than} that he should eat and drink, and {that} he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it {was} from the hand of God. {should make...: or, delight his senses}

For who can eat, or who else can hasten {hereunto}, more than I?

For {God} giveth to a man that {is} good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to {him that is} good before God. This also {is} vanity and vexation of spirit. {in his...: Heb. before him}

Cross References

Ecclesiastes 3:22

Wherefore I perceive that {there is} nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that {is} his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?

Ecclesiastes 8:15

Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

1 Timothy 6:17

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; {uncertain...: Gr. uncertainty of riches}

Ecclesiastes 5:18-19

Behold {that} which I have seen: {it is} good and comely {for one} to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it {is} his portion. {It is good...: Heb. there is a good which is comely, etc} {all the days: Heb. the number of the days}

Ecclesiastes 3:12-13

I know that {there is} no good in them, but for {a man} to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

Ecclesiastes 9:7-9

Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

1 Corinthians 15:32

If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die. {after...: or, to speak after the manner of men}

Deuteronomy 12:18

But thou must eat them before the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that {is} within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.