Ecclesiastes 8

1 Who is as the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face to shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.

Who is as the wise? and who knoweth the explanation of things? A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face is changed.

2 I say, Keep the king's command, and that because of the oath of God.

I [say], Keep the king's commandment, and [that] on account of the oath of God.

3 Be not hasty to go out of his presence. Persist not in an evil matter, for he does whatever pleases him.

Be not hasty to go out of his sight; persist not in an evil thing: for he doeth whatever pleaseth him,

4 For the king's word has power, and who may say to him, What are thou doing?

because the word of a king is power; and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

5 He who keeps a commandment shall know no evil thing. And a wise man's heart discerns the time and decision.

Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart knoweth time and manner.

6 For to every purpose there is a time and decision, although the distress of man is great upon him.

For to every purpose there is time and manner. For the misery of man is great upon him;

7 For he knows not that which shall be, for who can tell him how it shall be?

for he knoweth not that which shall be; for who can tell him how it shall be?

8 There is no man who has power over the spirit to retain the spirit, nor has he power over the day of death. And there is no discharge in war. Neither shall wickedness deliver him who is given to it.

There is no man who hath control over the spirit to retain the spirit; and no one hath control over the day of death; and there is no discharge in that war, neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

9 All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one man has power over another to his hurt.

All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time when man ruleth man to his hurt.

10 So I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were praised in the city where they had so done. This also is vanity.

And I have also seen the wicked buried and going away; and such as had acted rightly went from [the] holy place, and were forgotten in the city. This also is vanity.

11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to do evil.

12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and prolongs his days, yet surely I know that it shall be well with those who fear God, who fear before him.

Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and prolong his [days], yet I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, because they fear before him;

13 But it shall not be well with a wicked man, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he did not fear before God.

but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong [his] days as a shadow, because he feareth not before God.

14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked, again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there are righteous [men] unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; and there are wicked [men] to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

15 Then I commended joy, because a man has no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be cheerful. For that shall abide with him in his labor all the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.

And I commended mirth, because there is nothing better for man 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 hath given him under the sun.

16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth (for also there is he who sees sleep with his eyes neither day nor night),

When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes),

17 then I beheld all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. Because however much a man labors to seek it out, yet he shall not find it. Yea moreover, though a wise man thinks to know it, yet he shall not be able to find it.

then I saw that all [is] the work of God, [and] that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because however man may labour to seek [it] out, yet doth he not find [it]; and even, if a wise [man] think to know [it], he shall not be able to find [it] out.