Ecclesiastes 9

1 [I saw] that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: yea, there is no man that knows either love or hatred, [though] all are before their face.

So I took all this to heart and concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their deeds, are in God’s hands. Man does not know what lies ahead, whether love or hate.

2 Vanity is in all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good, and to the bad; both to the pure, and to the impure; both to him that sacrifices, and to him that sacrifice not: as is the good, so is the sinner: as is the swearer, even so is he that fears an oath.

It is the same for all: There is a common fate for the righteous and the wicked, for the good and the bad, for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not. As it is for the good, so it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who makes a vow, so it is for the one who refuses to take a vow.

3 There is this evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yea, the heart of the sons of men is filled with evil, and madness is in their heart during their life, and after that [they go] to the dead.

This is an evil in everything that is done under the sun: There is one fate for everyone. Furthermore, the hearts of men are full of evil and madness while they are alive, and afterward they join the dead.

4 for who is he that has fellowship with all the living? there is hope [of him]: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

There is hope, however, for anyone who is among the living; for even a live dog is better than a dead lion.

5 For the living will know that they shall die: but the dead know nothing, and there is no longer any reward to them; for their memory is lost.

For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, because the memory of them is forgotten.

6 also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, have now perished; yea, there is no portion for them any more for ever in all that is done under the sun.

Their love, their hate, and their envy have already vanished, and they will never again have a share in all that is done under the sun.

7 Go, eat thy bread with mirth, and drink thy wine with a joyful heart; for now God has favourably accepted thy works.

Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already approved your works:

8 Let thy garments be always white; and let not oil be wanting on thine head.

Let your garments always be white, and never spare the oil for your head.

9 And see life with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which are given thee under the sun: for that is thy portion in thy life, and in thy labour wherein thou labourest under the sun.

Enjoy life with your beloved wife all the days of the fleeting life that God has given you under the sun—all your fleeting days. For this is your portion in life and in your labor under the sun.

10 Whatsoever thine hand shall find to do, do with all thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Hades wither thou goest. (Sheol h7585)

Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom. (Sheol h7585)

11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor yet bread to the wise, nor yet wealth to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of knowledge; for time and chance will happen to them all.

I saw something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; neither is the bread to the wise, nor the wealth to the intelligent, nor the favor to the skillful. For time and chance happen to all.

12 For surely man also knows not his time: as fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as birds that are caught in a snare; even thus the sons of men are snared at an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them.

For surely no man knows his time: Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds trapped in a snare, so men are ensnared in an evil time that suddenly falls upon them.

13 This I also saw [to be] wisdom under the sun, and it is great before me:

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

14 [suppose there were] a little city, and few men in it; and there should come against it a great king, and surround it, and build great mounds against it;

There was a small city with few men. A mighty king came against it, surrounded it, and built large siege ramps against it.

15 and should find in it a poor wise man, and he should save the city through his wisdom: yet no man would remember that poor man.

Now a poor wise man was found in the city, and he saved the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man.

16 And I said Wisdom is better than power: yet the wisdom of the poor man is set at nought, and his words not listened to.

And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”

17 The words of the wise are heard in quiet more than the cry of them that rule in folly.

The calm words of the wise are heeded over the shouts of a ruler among fools.

18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: and one sinner will destroy much good.

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