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 like the wise man, and who knoweth the explanation of a thing? A man's wisdom brighteneth his countenance, and the harshness of his face is changed.

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

I counsel thee to 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 in haste to depart from his presence; persist not in an evil thing; for whatever pleaseth him, that he doeth.

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

For the word of the king is powerful; and who can say to 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.

He that keepeth the commandment shall experience no evil; and the heart of the wise man hath regard to time and judgment.

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

For to every thing there is a time and judgment. 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 no one knoweth what 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.

No man hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit, and no man hath power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in that war; and wickedness shall not deliver those that are guilty of 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 I have given heed to all things that are done under the sun. There is a time when man ruleth over 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 so I saw the wicked buried, while the righteous came and 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 doth the heart of the sons of men become bold within 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.

But though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and have his days prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that 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: he shall be like a shadow, and shall not prolong his days, 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 taketh place upon the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked, and that there are wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous. I said, “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.

Then I commended joy; because nothing is good for a man under the sun, except to eat and to drink and to be joyful; for it is this that abideth with him for his labor during the days of his life which God giveth 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 mind to know wisdom, and to see the business which is done upon the earth, —that one seeth no sleep with his eyes by day or by night, —

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 the whole work of God, that a man cannot comprehend that which is done under the sun; how much soever he labor to search it out, yet shall he not comprehend it; yea, though a wise man resolve to know it, yet shall he not be able to comprehend it.