Ecclesiastes 8
1 Who is like the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.
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 Keep the king's command, because of the oath to God.
My advice is to do what the king says, since that's what you promised God.
3 Do not be hasty to go out of his presence. Do not persist in an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him,
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 for the king's word is supreme. Who can say to him, "What are you doing?"
The king's orders have supreme authority—who is going to question him, saying, “What are you doing?”
5 Whoever keeps the commandment shall not come to harm, and his wise heart will know the time and procedure.
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 For there is a time and procedure for every purpose, although the misery of man is heavy on him.
For there's a right time and a right way for everything, even when things are going badly for you.
7 For he doesn't know 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 There is no man who has power over the spirit to contain the spirit; neither does he have power over the day of death. There is no discharge in war; neither shall wickedness deliver those who practice 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 applied my mind to every work that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one man has power over another to his hurt.
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 So I saw the wicked buried. Indeed they came also from the holy place. They went and were praised in the city where they did this. This also 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 sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
When people are not punished quickly for their crimes they are even more determined to do wrong.
12 Though a sinner commits crimes a hundred times, and lives long, yet surely I know that it will be better with those who fear God, who are reverent before 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 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he lengthen days like a shadow; because he doesn't fear 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 on the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked. Again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work 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 Then I commended mirth, because a man has no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be joyful: for that will accompany him in his labor all the days of his life which God has 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 business that is done on the earth (for also there is that neither day nor night sees sleep with his eyes),
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 I saw all the work of God, that man can't find out the work that is done under the sun, because however much a man labors to seek it out, yet he won't find it. Yes even though a wise man thinks he can comprehend it, he won't 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.
