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.
Who can compare to the truly wise? Who knows how to interpret things? If you have wisdom your face lights up, and your stern look is softened.
2 I [counsel thee], Keep the king's command, and that which regardeth the oath [to him taken] by God.
My advice is to do what the king says, since that's what you promised God.
3 Be not hasty to go out of his presence; engage not in an evil thing; for whatsoever pleaseth him, can he do;
Don't be quick to walk out on the king without thinking what you're doing, and don't get involved with those who plot against him, for the king can do what he pleases.
4 Because the word of a king is powerful; and who may say unto him, What doest thou?—
The king's orders have supreme authority—who is going to question him, saying, “What are you doing?”
5 Whoso keepeth the commandment will experience no evil thing: and a wise man's heart knoweth both time and the just consequence.
Those who follow his commands will not be involved in doing evil. Wise people think, recognizing there's a right time, and a right way.
6 Because for every pursuit there is a time and a just consequence; for the evil of man [resteth] heavily upon him.
For there's a right time and a right way for everything, even when things are going badly for you.
7 For he knoweth not that which will be; for who can tell him how it will be?
No one knows what's going to happen, so who can say what the future holds?
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.
No one can hold onto the breath of life; no one can prevent the day when they die. There's no way of escaping that battle, and the wicked won't be saved by their wickedness!
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 examined all these things, and thought about all that happens here on earth, and the damage that's caused when people dominate others.
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.
Yes, I have seen wicked people buried with great honor. They used to go to the holy place, and were praised in the very city where they did their evil. This is hard to understand!
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.
When people are not punished quickly for their crimes they are even more determined to do wrong.
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;
Even though a sinner may do wrong a hundred times, and live a long life, I'm convinced that those who do what God says will be better off.
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.
In fact, the wicked will not live long, passing like a shadow, because they refuse to follow God.
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.
Another thing that is hard to understand is this: good people are treated as the wicked should be, and the wicked are treated as good people should be. As I say, this is difficult to comprehend!
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.—
So I recommend enjoying life. There's nothing better for us here on earth than to eat and drink and be happy. Such an attitude will go with us as we work, and as we live our lives that God gives us here on earth.
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:
When I applied my mind to discovering wisdom and observing everything people do here on earth, I couldn't get any sleep, day or 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.
Then I studied everything God does, and I realized that no one can fully understand what happens here. However, hard they try, however wise they claim to be, they can't really comprehend it.
