Ecclesiastes 9

1 I have drawn all these things through my heart, so that I might carefully understand. There are just men as well as wise men, and their works are in the hand of God. And yet a man does not know so much as whether he is worthy of love or of hatred.

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.

2 But all things in the future remain uncertain, because all things happen equally to the just and to the impious, to the good and to the bad, to the pure and to the impure, to those who offer sacrifices and to those who despise sacrifices. As the good are, so also are sinners. As those who commit perjury are, so also are those who swear to the truth.

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.

3 This is a very great burden among all things that are done under the sun: that the same things happen to everyone. And when the hearts of the sons of men are filled with malice and contempt in their lives, afterwards they shall be dragged down to hell. (questioned)

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.

4 There is no one who lives forever, or who even has confidence in this regard. A living dog is better than a dead lion.

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

5 For the living know that they themselves will die, yet truly the dead know nothing anymore, nor do they have any recompense. For the memory of them is forgotten.

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.

6 Likewise, love and hatred and envy have all perished together, nor have they any place in this age and in the work which is done under the sun.

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.

7 So then, go and eat your bread with rejoicing, and drink your wine with gladness. For your works are pleasing to God.

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

8 Let your garments be white at all times, and let not oil be absent from your head.

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

9 Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your uncertain life which have been given to you under the sun, during all the time of your vanity. For this is your portion in life and in your labor, with which you labor under the sun.

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.

10 Whatever your hand is able to do, do it earnestly. For neither work, nor reason, nor wisdom, nor knowledge will exist in death, toward which you are hurrying. (Sheol h7585)

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)

11 I turned myself toward another thing, and I saw that under the sun, the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor wealth to the learned, nor grace to the skillful: but there is a time and an end for all these things.

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.

12 Man does not know his own end. But, just as fish are caught with a hook, and birds are captured with a snare, so are men seized in the evil time, when it will suddenly overwhelm them.

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.

13 This wisdom, likewise, I have seen under the sun, and I have examined it intensely.

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

14 There was a small city, with a few men in it. There came against it a great king, who surrounded it, and built fortifications all around it, and the blockade was completed.

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.

15 And there was found within it, a poor and wise man, and he freed the city through his wisdom, and nothing was recorded afterward of that poor man.

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.

16 And so, I declared that wisdom is better than strength. But how is it, then, that the wisdom of the poor man is treated with contempt, and his words are not heeded?

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.

17 The words of the wise are heard in silence, more so than the outcry of a prince among the foolish.

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

18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war. And whoever offends in one thing, shall lose many good things.

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