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.

The wisdom of a man shineth in his countenance, and the most mighty will change his face.

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

I observe the mouth of the king, and the commandments 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 depart from his face, and do not continue in an evil work: for he will do all that pleaseth him:

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

And his word is full of power: neither can any man say to him: Why dost thou so?

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

He that keepeth the commandments shall find no evil. The heart of a wise man understandeth time and answer.

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

There is a time and opportunity for every business, and great affliction for man:

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

Because he is ignorant of things past, and things to come he cannot know by any messenger.

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.

It is not in man’s power to stop the spirit, neither hath he power in the day of death, neither is he suffered to rest when war is at hand, neither shall wickedness save the wicked.

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 these things I have considered, and applied my heart to all the works that are done under the sun. Sometimes one man ruleth over another to his own 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.

I saw the wicked buried: who also when they were yet living were in the holy place, and were praised in the city as men of just works: but 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.

For because sentence is not speedily pronounced against the evil, the children of men commit evils without any fear.

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.

But though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and by patience be borne withal, I know from thence that it shall be well with them that fear God, who dread his face.

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 let it not be well with the wicked, neither let his days be prolonged, but as a shadow let them pass away that fear not the face of the Lord.

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 also another vanity, which is done upon the earth. There are just men to whom evils happen, as though they had done the works of the wicked: and there are wicked men, who are as secure, as though they had the deeds of the just: but this also I judge most vain.

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.

Therefore I commended mirth, because there was no good for a man under the sun, but to eat, and drink, and be merry, and that he should take nothing else with him of his labour in 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),

And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to understand the distraction that is upon earth: for there are some that day and night take no sleep with their 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.

And I understood that man can find no reason of all those works of God that are done under the sun: and the more he shall labour to seek, so much the less shall he find: yea, though the wise man shall say, that he knoweth it, he shall not be able to find it.