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.

For I thought about all this in my mind to understand about the righteous and wise people and their deeds. They are all in God's hands. No one knows whether love or hate will come to someone.

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.

Everyone has the same fate. The same fate awaits righteous people and wicked, the good, the clean and the unclean, and the one who sacrifices and the one who does not sacrifice. As good people will die, so also will the sinner. As the one who swears will die, so also will the man who fears to make an oath.

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.

There is an evil fate for everything that is done under the sun, the same event happens to them all. The hearts of human beings are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live. So after that they go to the dead.

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

For anyone who is united to all the living, there is hope, just as 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 living people know they will die, but the dead do not know anything. They no longer have any reward because their memory 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, hatred, and envy have vanished long ago. They will never have a place again in anything 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 your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of celebrating good works.

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

Let your clothes be always white and your head anointed with oil.

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 happily with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of uselessness, the days that God has given you under the sun during your days of uselessness. That is your reward in life for your work 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)

Whatever your hand finds to do, work at it with your strength, because there is no work or explanation or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, where you are going. (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 have seen some interesting things under the sun: The race does not belong to swift people. The battle does not belong to strong people. Bread does not belong to wise people. Riches do not belong to people of understanding. Favor does not belong to people of knowledge. Instead, time and chance affect them 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.

Surely, no one knows when his time will come. As fish are caught in a deadly net, or birds are caught in a snare, the children of human beings are ensnared by evil times that suddenly fall upon them.

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

I have also seen wisdom under the sun in a way that seemed great to me.

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:

There was a small city with only a few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it and built great siege ramps against it.

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 in the city was found a poor, wise man, who by his wisdom saved the city. Yet later, no one remembered that same 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.

So I concluded, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are 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 wise people spoken quietly are heard better than the shouts of any ruler among fools.

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

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