Ecclesiastes 9

1 For all this I laid to my heart and [indeed] to investigate all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; man knoweth neither love nor hatred: all is before them.

All these things have I considered in my heart, that I might carefully understand them: there are just men and wise men, and their works are in the hand of God: and yet man knoweth not whether he be worthy of love, or hatred:

2 All things [come] alike to all: 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; he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

But all things are kept uncertain for the time to come, because all things equally happen to the just and to the wicked, to the good and to the evil, to the clean and to the unclean, to him that offereth victims, and to him that despiseth sacrifices. As the good is, so also is the sinner: as the perjured, so he also that sweareth truth.

3 This is an evil among all that is done under the sun, that one thing befalleth all: yea, also the heart of the children of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live; and after that, [they have to go] to the dead.

This is a very great evil among all things that are done under the sun, that the same things happen to all men: whereby also the hearts of the children of men are filled with evil, and with contempt while they live, and afterwards they shall be brought down to hell. (questioned)

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

There is no man that liveth always, or that hopeth for this: a living dog is better than a dead lion.

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

For the living know that they shall die, but the dead know nothing more, neither have they a reward any more: for the memory of them is forgotten.

6 Their love also, and their hatred, and their envy is already perished; neither have they any more for ever a portion in all that is done under the sun.

Their love also, and their hatred, and their envy are all perished, neither have they any part in this world, and in the work that is done under the sun.

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

Go then, and eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with gladness: because thy works please God.

8 Let thy garments be always white, and let not thy head lack oil.

At all times let thy garments be white, and let not oil depart from thy head.

9 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 art labouring under the sun.

Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest, all the days of thy unsteady life, which are given to thee under the sun, all the time of thy vanity: for this is thy portion in life, and in thy labour wherewith thou labourest under the sun.

10 Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest. (Sheol h7585)

Whatsoever thy hand is able to do, do it earnestly: for neither work, nor reason, nor wisdom, nor knowledge shall be in hell, whither thou art hastening. (Sheol h7585)

11 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 the intelligent, nor yet favour to men of knowledge; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

I turned me to 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 riches to the learned, nor favour to the skillful: but time and chance in all.

12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are taken with the snare, like them are the children of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

Man knoweth not his own end: but as fishes are taken with the hook, and as birds are caught with the snare, so men are taken in the evil time, when it shall suddenly come upon them.

13 This also have I seen as wisdom under the sun, and it was great unto me.

This wisdom also I have seen under the sun, and it seemed to me to be very great:

14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and encompassed it, and built great bulwarks against it:

A little city, and few men in it: there came against it a great king, and invested it, and built bulwarks round about it, and the siege was perfect.

15 and there was found in it a poor wise man, who by his wisdom delivered the city; but no man remembered that poor man.

Now there was found in it a man poor and wise, and he delivered the city by his wisdom, and no man afterward remembered that poor man.

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

And I said that wisdom is better than strength: how then is the wisdom of the poor man slighted, and his words not heard?

17 The words of the wise are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.

The words of the wise are heard in silence, more than the cry of a prince among fools.

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

Better is wisdom, than weapons of war: and he that shall offend in one, shall lose many good things.