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;

For I thought about all this in my mind to understand about the righteous and wise people and their deeds. They are all in God's hands. No one knows whether love or hate will come to someone.

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.

Everyone has the same fate. The same fate awaits righteous people and wicked, the good, the clean and the unclean, and the one who sacrifices and the one who does not sacrifice. As good people will die, so also will the sinner. As the one who swears will die, so also will the man who fears to make 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.

There is an evil fate for everything that is done under the sun, the same event happens to them all. The hearts of human beings are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live. So after that they go 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.

For anyone who is united to all the living, there is hope, just as a living dog is better than a 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 living people know they will die, but the dead do not know anything. They no longer have any reward because their memory is 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, hatred, and envy have vanished long ago. They will never have a place again in anything 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 your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of celebrating good works.

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

Let your clothes be always white and your head anointed with oil.

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.

Live happily with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of uselessness, the days that God has given you under the sun during your days of uselessness. That is your reward in life for your work 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)

Whatever your hand finds to do, work at it with your strength, because there is no work or explanation or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, 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 seen some interesting things under the sun: The race does not belong to swift people. The battle does not belong to strong people. Bread does not belong to wise people. Riches do not belong to people of understanding. Favor does not belong to people of knowledge. Instead, time and chance affect 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.

Surely, no one knows when his time will come. As fish are caught in a deadly net, or birds are caught in a snare, the children of human beings are ensnared by evil times that suddenly fall upon them.

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

I have also seen wisdom under the sun in a way that seemed 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;

There was a small city with only a few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it and built great siege ramps against it.

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.

Now in the city was found a poor, wise man, who by his wisdom saved the city. Yet later, no one remembered that same 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.

So I concluded, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the poor man's wisdom 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 wise people spoken quietly are heard better than the shouts of any ruler among fools.

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

Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner can ruin much good.