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 explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn't know it; 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.

It is the same for all: one event to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good and to the evil, and to the clean and to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn't sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who swears is as he who fears 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 to all: yes 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 who is joined with 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 will die, but the dead do not know anything, neither do they have 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.

Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything 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 your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works.

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

Let your garments be always white, and do not let your head lack 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.

Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity: for that is your portion in life, and in your labor in which you labor 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)

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going. (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 favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen 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 doesn't know his time. As the fish 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 on them.

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

I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to 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 a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great siege works 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 a poor wise man was found in it, 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 heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules 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 destroys much good.