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 shineth in his countenance, and the most mighty will change his face.

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

I observe the mouth of the king, and the commandments of the oath of God.

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

Be not hasty to depart from his face, and do not continue in an evil work: for he will do all that pleaseth him:

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

And his word is full of power: neither can any man say to him: Why dost thou so?

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

He that keepeth the commandments shall find no evil. The heart of a wise man understandeth time and answer.

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

There is a time and opportunity for every business, and great affliction for man:

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

Because he is ignorant of things past, and things to come he cannot know by any 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 man’s power to stop the spirit, neither hath he power in the day of death, neither is he suffered to rest when war is at hand, neither shall wickedness save the wicked.

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.

All these things I have considered, and applied my heart to all the works that are done under the sun. Sometimes one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.

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 saw the wicked buried: who also when they were yet living were in the holy place, and were praised in the city as men of just works: but this also is vanity.

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 because sentence is not speedily pronounced against the evil, the children of men commit evils without any fear.

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 though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and by patience be borne withal, I know from thence that it shall be well with them that fear God, who dread 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.

But let it not be well with the wicked, neither let his days be prolonged, but as a shadow let them pass away that fear not the face of the Lord.

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 just men to whom evils happen, as though they had done the works of the wicked: and there are wicked men, who are as secure, as though they had the deeds of the just: but this also I judge most vain.

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.—

Therefore I commended mirth, because there was no good for a man under the sun, but to eat, and drink, and be merry, and that he should take nothing else with him of his labour in the days of his life, which God hath given 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 to know wisdom, and to understand the distraction that is upon earth: for there are some that day and night take no sleep with their eyes.

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 can find no reason of all those works of God that are done under the sun: and the more he shall labour to seek, so much the less shall he find: yea, though the wise man shall say, that he knoweth it, he shall not be able to find it.