Ecclesiastes 8

1 The wisdom of a man shines in his countenance, and even the expression of a most powerful man will change.

Who is like the wise man? and to whom is the sense of anything clear? A man's wisdom makes his face shining, and his hard face will be changed.

2 I heed the mouth of the king, and the commandment of an oath to God.

I say to you, Keep the king's law, from respect for the oath of God.

3 You should not hastily withdraw from his presence, nor should you remain in an evil work. For all that pleases him, he will do.

Be not quick to go from before him. Be not fixed in an evil design, because he does whatever is pleasing to him.

4 And his word is filled with authority. Neither is anyone able to say to him: “Why are you acting this way?”

The word of a king has authority; and who may say to him, What is this you are doing?

5 Whoever keeps the commandment will not experience evil. The heart of a wise man understands the time to respond.

Whoever keeps the law will come to no evil: and a wise man's heart has knowledge of time and of decision.

6 For every matter, there is a time and an opportunity, as well as many difficulties, for man.

For every purpose there is a time and a decision, because the sorrow of man is great in him.

7 For he is ignorant of the past, and he is able to know nothing of the future by means of a messenger.

No one is certain what is to be, and who is able to say to him when it will be?

8 It is not in the power of a man to prohibit the spirit, nor does he have authority over the day of death, nor is he permitted to rest when war breaks out, and neither will impiety save the impious.

No man has authority over the wind, to keep the wind; or is ruler over the day of his death. In war no man's time is free, and evil will not keep the sinner safe.

9 I have considered all these things, and I have applied my heart to all the works which are being done under the sun. Sometimes one man rules over another to his own harm.

All this have I seen, and have given my heart to all the work which is done under the sun: there is a time when man has power over man for his destruction.

10 I have seen the impious buried. These same, while they were still living, were in the holy place, and they were praised in the city as workers of justice. But this, too, is emptiness.

And then I saw evil men put to rest, taken even from the holy place; and they went about and were praised in the town because of what they had done. This again is to no purpose.

11 For the sons of men perpetrate evils without any fear, because judgment is not pronounced quickly against the evil.

Because punishment for an evil work comes not quickly, the minds of the sons of men are fully given to doing evil.

12 But although a sinner may do evil of himself one hundred times, and by patience still endure, I realize that it will be well with those who fear God, who revere his face.

Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and his life is long, I am certain that it will be well for those who go in fear of God and are in fear before him.

13 So, may it not go well with the impious, and may his days not be prolonged. And let those who do not fear the face of the Lord pass away like a shadow.

But it will not be well for the evil-doer; he will not make his days long like a shade, because he has no fear before God.

14 There is also another vanity, which is done upon the earth. There are the just, to whom evils happen, as though they had done the works of the impious. And there are the impious, who are very secure, as though they possess the deeds of the just. But this, too, I judge to be a very great vanity.

There is a thing which is to no purpose done on the earth: that there are good men to whom is given the same punishment as those who are evil, and there are evil men who get the reward of the good. I say that this again is to no purpose.

15 And so, I praised rejoicing, because there was no good for a man under the sun, except to eat and drink, and to be cheerful, and because he may take nothing with him from his labor in the days of his life, which God has given to him under the sun.

So I gave praise to joy, because there is nothing better for a man to do under the sun than to take meat and drink and be happy; for that will be with him in his work all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.

16 And I applied my heart, so that I might know wisdom, and so that I might understand a disturbance that turns upon the earth: it is a man, who takes no sleep with his eyes, day and night.

When I gave my mind to the knowledge of wisdom and to seeing the business which is done on the earth (and there are those whose eyes see not sleep by day or by night),

17 And I understood that man is able to find no explanation for all those works of God which are done under the sun. And so, the more that he labors to seek, so much the less does he find. Yes, even if a wise man were to claim that he knows, he would not be able to discover it.

Then I saw all the work of God, and that man may not get knowledge of the work which is done under the sun; because, if a man gives hard work to the search he will not get knowledge, and even if the wise man seems to be coming to the end of his search, still he will be without knowledge.