Ecclesiastes 8

1 Who is like the wise? and who knoweth [as well] the explanation of a thing? a man's wisdom enlighteneth his face, and the boldness of his face will be lessened.

The wisdom of a man shines in his countenance, and even the expression of a most powerful man will change.

2 I [counsel thee], Keep the king's command, and that which regardeth the oath [to him taken] by God.

I heed the mouth of the king, and the commandment of an oath to God.

3 Be not hasty to go out of his presence; engage not in an evil thing; for whatsoever pleaseth him, can he do;

You should not hastily withdraw from his presence, nor should you remain in an evil work. For all that pleases him, he will do.

4 Because the word of a king is powerful; and who may say unto him, What doest thou?—

And his word is filled with authority. Neither is anyone able to say to him: “Why are you acting this way?”

5 Whoso keepeth the commandment will experience no evil thing: and a wise man's heart knoweth both time and the just consequence.

Whoever keeps the commandment will not experience evil. The heart of a wise man understands the time to respond.

6 Because for every pursuit there is a time and a just consequence; for the evil of man [resteth] heavily upon him.

For every matter, there is a time and an opportunity, as well as many difficulties, for man.

7 For he knoweth not that which will be; for who can tell him how it will be?

For he is ignorant of the past, and he is able to know nothing of the future by means of a messenger.

8 No man hath control over the spirit to detain the spirit; and there is no control over the day of death; and there is no representation in that war; and wickedness will not deliver those that practise it.

It is not in the power of a man to prohibit the spirit, nor does he have authority over the day of death, nor is he permitted to rest when war breaks out, and neither will impiety save the impious.

9 All this have I seen, and directed my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time when one man ruleth over another to his own injury.

I have considered all these things, and I have applied my heart to all the works which are being done under the sun. Sometimes one man rules over another to his own harm.

10 Then also did I see the wicked buried, who had gone to their rest; but those who had acted correctly had to go away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city. Also this is vanity.

I have seen the impious buried. These same, while they were still living, were in the holy place, and they were praised in the city as workers of justice. But this, too, is emptiness.

11 Because the punishment against evil deeds is not executed speedily, therefore is the heart of the sons of men filled up in them to do evil.

For the sons of men perpetrate evils without any fear, because judgment is not pronounced quickly against the evil.

12 But let a sinner do evil a hundred times, and [God] withhold long his punishment from him; still do I truly know for certain that it will be well with those that fear God, because they are afraid of him;

But although a sinner may do evil of himself one hundred times, and by patience still endure, I realize that it will be well with those who fear God, who revere his face.

13 And that it will not be well with the wicked, and that he will not endure many days, like the shadow; because he is not afraid of God.

So, may it not go well with the impious, and may his days not be prolonged. And let those who do not fear the face of the Lord pass away like a shadow.

14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth, that there are righteous men, unto whom it happeneth in accordance with the deeds of the wicked; again, there are wicked men, to whom it happeneth in accordance with the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

There is also another vanity, which is done upon the earth. There are the just, to whom evils happen, as though they had done the works of the impious. And there are the impious, who are very secure, as though they possess the deeds of the just. But this, too, I judge to be a very great vanity.

15 Therefore do I praise joyfulness, that there is nothing better for man under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be joyful; for this will adhere to him in his toil, during the days of his life which God hath given him under the sun.—

And so, I praised rejoicing, because there was no good for a man under the sun, except to eat and drink, and to be cheerful, and because he may take nothing with him from his labor in the days of his life, which God has given to him under the sun.

16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the employment that is done upon the earth, how even neither by day nor by night sleep is seen in the eyes of some men:

And I applied my heart, so that I might know wisdom, and so that I might understand a disturbance that turns upon the earth: it is a man, who takes no sleep with his eyes, day and night.

17 Then did I see [in] the whole work of God, that a man is not able to find out the work that is done under the sun; inasmuch as though a man were to toil to seek for it, he would yet not find it; and even if the wise were to think to know it, he would yet not be able to find it.

And I understood that man is able to find no explanation for all those works of God which are done under the sun. And so, the more that he labors to seek, so much the less does he find. Yes, even if a wise man were to claim that he knows, he would not be able to discover it.