Ecclesiastes 9

1 [I saw] that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: yes, there is no man that knows either love or hatred, [though] all are before their face.

For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn’t know it; all is before them.

2 Vanity is in all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good, and to the bad; both to the pure, and to the impure; both to him that sacrifices, and to him that sacrifice not: as is the good, so is the sinner: as is the swearer, even so is he that fears an oath.

All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn’t sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath, as he who fears an oath.

3 There is this evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes, the heart of the sons of men is filled with evil, and madness is in their heart during their life, and after that [they go] to the dead.

This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all. Yes also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

4 for who is he that has fellowship with all the living? there is hope [of him]: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

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

5 For the living will know that they shall die: but the dead know nothing, and there is no longer any reward to them; for their memory is lost.

For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten.

6 also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, have now perished; yes, there is no portion for them any more for ever in all that is done under the sun.

Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither do they any longer have a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.

7 Go, eat your bread with mirth, and drink your wine with a joyful heart; for now God has favourably accepted your works.

Go your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works.

8 Let your garments be always white; and let not oil be lacking on your head.

Let your garments be always white, and don’t let your head lack oil.

9 And see life with the wife whom you love all the days of the life of your vanity, which are given you under the sun: for that is your portion in your life, and in your labor wherein you labor under the sun.

Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity, for that is your portion in life, and in your labour in which you labour under the sun.

10 Whatsoever your hand shall find to do, do with all your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Hades wither you go. (Sheol h7585)

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor 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, nor yet bread to the wise, nor yet wealth to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of knowledge; for time and chance will happen to them all.

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 men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.

12 For surely man also knows not his time: as fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as birds that are caught in a snare; even thus the sons of men are snared at an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them.

For man also doesn’t know his time. As the fish that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them.

13 This I also saw [to be] wisdom under the sun, and it is great before me:

I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to me.

14 [suppose there were] a little city, and few men in it; and there should come against it a great king, and surround it, and build great mounds against it;

There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.

15 and should find in it a poor wise man, and he should save the city through his wisdom: yet no man would remember that poor man.

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

16 And I said Wisdom is better than power: yet the wisdom of the poor man is set at nothing, and his words not listened to.

Then I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Nevertheless 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 them that rule in folly.

The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules amongst fools.

18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: and one sinner will destroy much good.

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