Ecclesiastes 8

1 Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face is changed.

Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? the wisedome of a man doth make his face to shine: and the strength of his face shalbe changed.

2 I counsel thee: keep the king's command, and that in regard of the oath of God.

I aduertise thee to take heede to ye mouth of the King, and to the worde of the othe of God.

3 Be not hasty to go out of his presence; stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.

Haste not to goe forth of his sight: stand not in an euill thing: for he will doe whatsoeuer pleaseth him.

4 Forasmuch as the king's word hath power; and who may say unto him: 'What doest thou?'

Where the word of ye King is, there is power, and who shall say vnto him, What doest thou?

5 Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart discerneth time and judgment.

He that keepeth the commandement, shall knowe none euill thing, and the heart of the wise shall knowe the time and iudgement.

6 For to every matter there is a time and judgment; for the evil of man is great upon him.

For to euery purpose there is a time and iudgement, because the miserie of man is great vpon him.

7 For he knoweth not that which shall be; for even when it cometh to pass, who shall declare it unto him?

For he knoweth not that which shalbe: for who can tell him when it shalbe?

8 There is no man that hath power over the wind to retain the wind; neither hath he power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in war; neither shall wickedness deliver him that is given to it.

Man is not lorde ouer the spirit to retaine the spirite: neither hath hee power in the day of death, nor deliuerance in the battell, neither shall wickednesse deliuer the possessers thereof.

9 All this have I seen, even applied my heart thereto, whatever the work that is done under the sun; what time one man had power over another to his hurt.

All this haue I seene, and haue giuen mine heart to euery worke, which is wrought vnder the sunne, and I sawe a time that man ruleth ouer man to his owne hurt.

10 And so I saw the wicked buried, and they entered into their rest; but they that had done right went away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city; this also is vanity.

And likewise I sawe the wicked buried, and they returned, and they that came from the holy place, were yet forgotten in the citie where they had done right: this also is vanitie.

11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil;

Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to doe euill.

12 because a sinner doeth evil a hundred times, and prolongeth his days — though yet I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that fear before Him;

Though a sinner doe euill an hundreth times, and God prolongeth his dayes, yet I knowe that it shalbe well with them that feare the Lord, and doe reuerence before him.

13 but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he feareth not before God.

But it shall not be well to the wicked, neither shall he prolong his dayes: he shall be like a shadowe, because he feareth not before God.

14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth: that there are righteous men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous — I said that this also is vanity.

There is a vanitie, which is done vpon the earth, that there be righteous men to whom it commeth according to the worke of the wicked: and there be wicked men to whom it commeth according to the worke of the iust: I thought also that this is vanitie.

15 So I commended mirth, that a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry, and that this should accompany him in his labour all the days of his life which God hath given him under the sun.

And I praysed ioy: for there is no goodnesse to man vnder the sunne, saue to eate and to drinke and to reioyce: for this is adioyned to his labour, the dayes of his life that God hath giuen him vnder the sunne.

16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth — for neither day nor night do men see sleep with their eyes —

When I applied mine heart to knowe wisedome, and to behold the busines that is done on earth, that neither day nor night the eyes of man take sleepe,

17 then I beheld all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun; because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further, though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.

Then I behelde the whole worke of God, that man cannot finde out ye worke that is wrought vnder the sunne: for the which man laboureth to seeke it, and cannot finde it: yea, and though the wise man thinke to knowe it, he cannot finde it.