Ecclesiastes 9

1 For all this did I reflect over in my heart and to explain all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their services, are in the hand of God: that man knoweth neither love nor hatred; it is all [ordained] before them;

But all this I have laid to my heart, so as to clear up the whole of this, that the righteous and the wise, and their works, [are] in the hand of God, neither love nor hatred does man know, the whole [is] before them.

2 Every thing as it is to happen to all; there is but one occurrence for the righteous, and for the wicked; for the good and for the clean, and for the unclean; and for him that sacrificeth, and for him that sacrificeth not; as is the good, so is the sinner; he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

The whole [is] as to the whole; one event is to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean, and to him who is sacrificing, and to him who is not sacrificing; as [is] the good, so [is] the sinner, he who is swearing as he who is fearing an oath.

3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one occurrence for all, and that also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and that madness is in their heart while they live, and after this they go to the dead.

This [is] an evil among all that has been done under the sun, that one event [is] to all, and also the heart of the sons of man is full of evil, and madness [is] in their heart during their life, and after it—to the dead.

4 For whoever is yet united with all the living hath still hope; for a living dog fareth better than a dead lion.

But [to] him who is joined to all the living there is confidence, for to a living dog it [is] better than to the dead lion.

5 For the living know that they will die; but the dead know not the least; nor have they longer any reward; for their memory is forgotten.

For the living know that they die, and the dead do not know anything, and there is no more reward to them, for their remembrance has been forgotten.

6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, are now already lost; and they will have never more a portion in all that is done under the sun.

Their love also, their hatred also, their envy also, has already perished, and they have no more portion for all time in all that has been done under the sun.

7 Go, eat with joy thy bread, and drink with a merry heart thy wine, if God have already received thy works in favor.

Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a glad heart, for already has God been pleased with your works.

8 At all times let thy garments be white, and let oil not be wanting on thy head.

At all times let your garments be white, and do not let oil be lacking on your head.

9 Enjoy life with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which God hath given thee under the sun, [yea, ] all the days of thy vanity; for this is thy portion in this life, and in thy toil with which thou toilest under the sun.

See life with the wife whom you have loved, all the days of the life of your vanity, that He has given to you under the sun, all the days of your vanity, for it [is] your portion in life, even of your labor that you are laboring at under the sun.

10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do with thy might, that do; for there is no work, nor experience, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the nether world, whither thou goest.— (Sheol h7585)

All that your hand finds to do, with your power do, for there is no work, and plan, and knowledge, and wisdom in Sheol to where you are going. (Sheol h7585)

11 I turned about, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the mighty; and that also the wise have no bread, nor yet the men of understanding riches, nor yet men of knowledge favor; but time and fate will overtake them all.

I have turned so as to see under the sun, that not to the swift [is] the race, nor to the mighty the battle, nor even to the wise bread, nor even to the intelligent wealth, nor even to the skillful grace, for time and chance happen with them all.

12 For man also knoweth not his time, like the fishes that are caught in an evil net, and like the birds that are caught in the snare: like these are the sons of men ensnared at an evil time, when it falleth upon them suddenly.

For even man does not know his time; as fish that are taken hold of by an evil net, and as birds that are taken hold of by a snare, the sons of man are snared like these at an evil time when it falls on them suddenly.

13 Also in this manner have I seen wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:

This also I have seen: wisdom under the sun, and it is great to me.

14 There was a little city, and the men therein were few; and there came against it a great king, who enclosed it, and built around it great works of siege;

A little city, and few men in it, and a great king has come to it, and has surrounded it, and has built against it great bulwarks;

15 But there was found in it a poor wise man, and he delivered the city by his wisdom; yet no man had thought of that same poor man.

and there has been found in it a poor wise man, and he has delivered the city by his wisdom, and men have not remembered that poor man!

16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than might: although the poor man's wisdom is held in contempt, and his words are not heard.

And I said, “Better [is] wisdom than might, and the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.”

17 The words of wise men heard in quiet are better than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.

The words of the wise are heard in quiet, More than the cry of a ruler over fools.

18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner causes much good to be lost.

Better [is] wisdom than weapons of conflict, And one sinner destroys much good!