Ecclesiastes 11:5 — Compare Translations

27 translations compared side by side

English (YLT) 1898 Young's Literal Translation by Robert Young

As thou knowest not what [is] the way of the spirit, How -- bones in the womb of the full one, So thou knowest not the work of God who maketh the whole.

English ASV

As thou knowest not what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child; even so thou knowest not the work of God who doeth all.

English Amplified

As you know not what is the way of the wind, or how the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a pregnant woman, even so you know not the work of God, Who does all.

English Amplified Classic Bible 1987

As you know not what is the way of the wind, or how the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a pregnant woman, even so you know not the work of God, Who does all.

English Berean Standard Bible (BSB) 2025

As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones are formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.

English CSB 2017 - Christian Standard Bible

Just as you don’t know the path of the wind, or how bones develop in the womb of a pregnant woman, so also you don’t know the work of God who makes everything.

English Darby 1890 : Public Domain

As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, how the bones [grow] in the womb of her that is with child, even so thou knowest not the work of God who maketh all.

English EASY 2024

We do not know the path that the wind blows along. Nor do we know how a baby's body grows inside a pregnant woman. So nobody can explain the things that God does. He is the one who has made everything.

English ERV 2006 - Only For Website

You don't know where the wind blows. And you don't know how a baby grows in its mother's womb. In the same way, you don't know what God will do—and he makes everything happen.

As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.

English GNT (Good News Translation)

God made everything, and you can no more understand what he does than you understand how new life begins in the womb of a pregnant woman.

English God's Word - GW 1995

Just as you don't know how the breath of life enters the limbs of a child within its mother's womb, you also don't understand how God, who made everything, works.

English HCSB 2004 - Copyrighted Only For Website

Just as you don't know the path of the wind, or how bones [develop] in the womb of a pregnant woman, so you don't know the work of God who makes everything.

English KJV 1611

As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

English LSB

Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the work of God who works all things.

English MEV 2014 (Modern English Version)

Just as you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones grow to fullness in the womb of a woman with child; so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.

English NASB (New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995)

Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.

English NASU 1989 - New American Standard Update - Only for Website

Just as you know not how the breath of life fashions the human frame in the mother's womb, So you know not the work of God which he is accomplishing in the universe.

English NET Bible - 2005 (New English Translation)

Just as you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones form in the womb of a pregnant woman, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.

English NIRV 1996 - Copyrighted only for Website

You don't know the path the wind takes. You don't know how a baby is made inside its mother. So you can't understand how God works either. He made everything.

English NIV

As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.

English NKJ 1982

As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.

English NLT

God's ways are as hard to discern as the pathways of the wind, and as mysterious as a tiny baby being formed in a mother's womb.

English NRSV 1989 - Only for website

Just as you do not know how the breath comes to the bones in the mother's womb, so you do not know the work of God, who makes everything.

English RSV (Revised Standard Version)

As you do not know how the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.

English TL (The Living Bible) (1971)

God's ways are as mysterious as the pathway of the wind and as the manner in which a human spirit is infused into the little body of a baby while it is yet in its mother's womb.

English Tyndale 1537

Now like as thou knowest not the way of the wind, nor how the bones are filled in a mother's womb: Even so thou knowest not the works of God, which is the workmaster of all.