Ecclesiastes 9

1 For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God. No man understands, either love or hatred. All is before them.

But all this I have laid to my heart, so as to clear up the whole of this, that the righteous and the wise, and their works, [are] in the hand of God, neither love nor hatred does man know, the whole [is] before them.

2 All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous man and to the wicked man, to the good man, and to the clean man, and to the unclean man, to him who sacrifices and to him who does not sacrifice, as is the good man, so is the sinner, and he who swears, as he who fears an oath.

The whole [is] as to the whole; one event is to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean, and to him who is sacrificing, and to him who is not sacrificing; as [is] the good, so [is] the sinner, he who is swearing as he who is fearing an oath.

3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all. Yea also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

This [is] an evil among all that has been done under the sun, that one event [is] to all, and also the heart of the sons of man is full of evil, and madness [is] in their heart during their life, and after it—to the dead.

4 Because to him who is joined with all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

But [to] him who is joined to all the living there is confidence, for to a living dog it [is] better than to the dead lion.

5 For the living know that they shall die, but the dead know not anything, nor have they any more a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.

For the living know that they die, and the dead do not know anything, and there is no more reward to them, for their remembrance has been forgotten.

6 As well their love, as their hatred and their envy, has perished long ago, nor have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.

Their love also, their hatred also, their envy also, has already perished, and they have no more portion for all time in all that has been done under the sun.

7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart, for God has already accepted thy works.

Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a glad heart, for already has God been pleased with your works.

8 Let thy garments be always white, and let not thy head lack oil.

At all times let your garments be white, and do not let oil be lacking on your head.

9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou love all the days of thy life of vanity, which he has given thee under the sun, all thy days of vanity. For that is thy portion in life, and in thy labor in which thou labor under the sun.

See life with the wife whom you have loved, all the days of the life of your vanity, that He has given to you under the sun, all the days of your vanity, for it [is] your portion in life, even of your labor that you are laboring at under the sun.

10 Whatever thy hand finds to do, do with thy might, for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where thou go. (Sheol h7585)

All that your hand finds to do, with your power do, for there is no work, and plan, and knowledge, and wisdom in Sheol to where you are going. (Sheol h7585)

11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill, but time and chance happens to them all.

I have turned so as to see under the sun, that not to the swift [is] the race, nor to the mighty the battle, nor even to the wise bread, nor even to the intelligent wealth, nor even to the skillful grace, for time and chance happen with them all.

12 For man also does not know his time. As the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time when it falls suddenly upon them.

For even man does not know his time; as fish that are taken hold of by an evil net, and as birds that are taken hold of by a snare, the sons of man are snared like these at an evil time when it falls on them suddenly.

13 I have also seen wisdom under the sun this way, and it seemed great to me:

This also I have seen: wisdom under the sun, and it is great to me.

14 There was a little city, and few men within it. And there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.

A little city, and few men in it, and a great king has come to it, and has surrounded it, and has built against it great bulwarks;

15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man. And he by his wisdom delivered the city, yet no man remembered that same poor man.

and there has been found in it a poor wise man, and he has delivered the city by his wisdom, and men have not remembered that poor man!

16 Then I said, Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

And I said, “Better [is] wisdom than might, and the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.”

17 The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules among fools.

The words of the wise are heard in quiet, More than the cry of a ruler over fools.

18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Better [is] wisdom than weapons of conflict, And one sinner destroys much good!