Parallel Verses
International Standard Version
That which was, now is; and that which will be, already is; and God examines what has already taken place.
New American Standard Bible
That
King James Version
That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
Holman Bible
Whatever is, has already been,
A Conservative Version
That which is, has been long ago, and that which is to be, has long ago been. And God seeks again that which has passed away.
American Standard Version
That which is hath been long ago; and that which is to be hath long ago been: and God seeketh again that which is passed away.
Amplified
That which is has already been, and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by [so that history repeats itself].
Bible in Basic English
Whatever is has been before, and what is to be is now; because God makes search for the things which are past.
Darby Translation
That which is was long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; and God bringeth back again that which is past.
Julia Smith Translation
What was, it is already; and what to be, was already; and God will seek him being driven away.
King James 2000
That which has been is now; and that which is to be has already been; and God requires that which is past.
Lexham Expanded Bible
What is--it already was, and what will be--it already is, for {God will do what he has done.}
Modern King James verseion
That which has been is now; and that which is to be has already been; and God requires that which is past.
Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale
The thing that hath been, is now; and the thing that is for to come, hath been afore time: for God restoreth again the thing that was past.
NET Bible
Whatever exists now has already been, and whatever will be has already been; for God will seek to do again what has occurred in the past.
New Heart English Bible
That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago: and God seeks again that which is passed away.
The Emphasized Bible
That which was, already, had been, and, that which shall be, already, shall have been, - but, God, seeketh that which hath been chased away.
Webster
That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
World English Bible
That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago: and God seeks again that which is passed away.
Youngs Literal Translation
What is that which hath been? already it is, and that which is to be hath already been, and God requireth that which is pursued.
Interlinear
'elohiym
References
Hastings
Word Count of 20 Translations in Ecclesiastes 3:15
Verse Info
Context Readings
No One Understands God's Mysterious Plan
14 I have concluded that everything that God undertakes will last for eternity nothing can be added to it nor taken away from it and that God acts this way so that people will fear him. 15 That which was, now is; and that which will be, already is; and God examines what has already taken place. 16 I also examined on earth: where the halls of justice were supposed to be, there was lawlessness; and where the righteous were supposed to be, there was lawlessness. 17I told myself, "God will judge both the righteous and the wicked, because there is a time set to judge every event and every work."
Phrases
Cross References
Ecclesiastes 1:9-10
Whatever has happened, will happen again; whatever has been done, will be done again. There is nothing new on earth.
Ecclesiastes 6:10
Whatever exists has been named already; people know what it means to be human and a person cannot defeat one who is more powerful than he.