Ecclesiastes 9

1 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:

But all this I have laid to my heart, so as to clear up the whole of this, that the righteous and the wise, and their works, [are] in the hand of God, neither love nor hatred does man know, the whole [is] before them.

2 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.

The whole [is] as to the whole; one event is to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean, and to him who is sacrificing, and to him who is not sacrificing; as [is] the good, so [is] the sinner, he who is swearing as he who is fearing an oath.

3 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)

This [is] an evil among all that has been done under the sun, that one event [is] to all, and also the heart of the sons of man is full of evil, and madness [is] in their heart during their life, and after it—to the dead.

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

But [to] him who is joined to all the living there is confidence, for to a living dog it [is] better than to the dead lion.

5 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.

For the living know that they die, and the dead do not know anything, and there is no more reward to them, for their remembrance has been forgotten.

6 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.

Their love also, their hatred also, their envy also, has already perished, and they have no more portion for all time in all that has been done under the sun.

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

Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a glad heart, for already has God been pleased with your works.

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

At all times let your garments be white, and do not let oil be lacking on your head.

9 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.

See life with the wife whom you have loved, all the days of the life of your vanity, that He has given to you under the sun, all the days of your vanity, for it [is] your portion in life, even of your labor that you are laboring at under the sun.

10 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)

All that your hand finds to do, with your power do, for there is no work, and plan, and knowledge, and wisdom in Sheol to where you are going. (Sheol h7585)

11 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.

I have turned so as to see under the sun, that not to the swift [is] the race, nor to the mighty the battle, nor even to the wise bread, nor even to the intelligent wealth, nor even to the skillful grace, for time and chance happen with them all.

12 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.

For even man does not know his time; as fish that are taken hold of by an evil net, and as birds that are taken hold of by a snare, the sons of man are snared like these at an evil time when it falls on them suddenly.

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

This also I have seen: wisdom under the sun, and it is great to me.

14 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.

A little city, and few men in it, and a great king has come to it, and has surrounded it, and has built against it great bulwarks;

15 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.

and there has been found in it a poor wise man, and he has delivered the city by his wisdom, and men have not remembered that poor man!

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

And I said, “Better [is] wisdom than might, and the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.”

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

The words of the wise are heard in quiet, More than the cry of a ruler over fools.

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

Better [is] wisdom than weapons of conflict, And one sinner destroys much good!