Ecclesiastes 9

1 All this I took to heart, and my heart saw it all: that the upright and the wise and their works are in the hand of God; and men may not be certain if it will be love or hate; all is to no purpose before them.

For all this I laid to my heart, even to make clear all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it be love or hatred, man knoweth it not; all is before them.

2 Because to all there is one event, to the upright man and to the evil, to the clean and to the unclean, to him who makes an offering and to him who makes no offering; as is the good so is the sinner; he who takes an oath is as he who has fear of it.

All things come alike to all; there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not; as is the good, so is the sinner, and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

3 This is evil in all things which are done under the sun: that there is one fate for all, and the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; while they have life their hearts are foolish, and after that — to the dead.

This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event unto 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.

4 For him who is joined to all the living there is hope; a living dog is better than a dead lion.

For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5 The living are conscious that death will come to them, but the dead are not conscious of anything, and they no longer have a reward, because there is no memory of them.

For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

6 Their love and their hate and their envy are now ended; and they have no longer a part for ever in anything which is done under the sun.

As well their love, as their hatred and their envy, is long ago perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

7 Come, take your bread with joy, and your wine with a glad heart. God has taken pleasure in your works.

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

8 Let your clothing be white at all times, and let not your head be without oil.

Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no oil.

9 Have joy with the woman of your love all the days of your foolish life which he gives you under the sun. Because that is your part in life and in your work which you do under the sun.

Enjoy life with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which He hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity; for that is thy portion in life, and in thy labour wherein thou labourest under the sun.

10 Whatever comes to your hand to do with all your power, do it because there is no work, or thought, or knowledge, or wisdom in the place of the dead to which you are going. (Sheol h7585)

Whatsoever thy hand attaineth to do by thy strength, that do; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. (Sheol h7585)

11 And again I saw under the sun that the reward goes not to him who is quick, or the fruits of war to the strong; and there is no bread for the wise, or wealth for men of learning, or respect for those who have knowledge; but time and chance come to all.

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 favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

12 Even man has no knowledge of his time; like fishes taken in an evil net, or like birds taken by deceit, are the sons of men taken in an evil time when it comes suddenly on them.

For man also knoweth not 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 falleth suddenly upon them.

13 This again I have seen under the sun as wisdom and it seemed great to me.

This also have I seen as wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:

14 There was a little town and the number of its men was small, and there came a great king against it and made an attack on it, building works of war round about it.

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;

15 Now there was in the town a poor, wise man, and he, by his wisdom, kept the town safe. But no one had any memory of that same poor man.

now there was found in it a man poor and wise, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.

16 Then I said, Wisdom is better than strength, but the poor man's wisdom is not respected, and his words are not given a hearing.

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

17 The words of the wise which come quietly to the ear are noted more than the cry of a ruler among the foolish.

The words of the wise spoken in quiet are more acceptable than the cry of a ruler among fools.

18 Wisdom is better than instruments of war, but one sinner is the destruction of much good.

Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroyeth much good.