Ecclesiastes 8

1 Who is like the wise man, and who knoweth the explanation of a thing? A man's wisdom brighteneth his countenance, and the harshness of his face is changed.

Who knows the wise? and who knows the interpretation of a saying? A man's wisdom will lighten his countenance; but a man of shameless countenance will be hated.

2 I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that on account of the oath of God.

Observe the commandment of the king, and [that] because of the word of the oath of God.

3 Be not in haste to depart from his presence; persist not in an evil thing; for whatever pleaseth him, that he doeth.

Be not hasty; thou shalt go forth out of his presence: stand not in an evil matter; for he will do whatsoever he shall please,

4 For the word of the king is powerful; and who can say to him, “What doest thou?”

even as a king having power: and who will say to him, What doest thou?

5 He that keepeth the commandment shall experience no evil; and the heart of the wise man hath regard to time and judgment.

He that keeps the commandment shall not know an evil thing: and the heart of the wise knows the time of judgment.

6 For to every thing there is a time and judgment. For the misery of man is great upon him.

For to every thing there is time and judgment; for the knowledge of a man is great to him.

7 For no one knoweth what shall be; for who can tell him how it shall be?

For there is no one that knows what is going to be: for who shall tell him how it shall be?

8 No man hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit, and no man hath power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in that war; and wickedness shall not deliver those that are guilty of it.

There is no man that has power over the spirit to retain the spirit; and there is no power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in the day of the battle; neither shall ungodliness save her votary.

9 All this have I seen, and I have given heed to all things that are done under the sun. There is a time when man ruleth over man to his hurt.

So I saw all this, and I applied my heart to every work that has been done under the sun; all the things wherein man has power over man to afflict him.

10 And so I saw the wicked buried, while the righteous came and went from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city. This also is vanity.

And then I saw the ungodly carried into the tombs, and [that] out of the holy place: and they departed, and were praised in the city, because they had done thus: this also is vanity.

11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore doth the heart of the sons of men become bold within them to do evil.

Because there is no contradiction made on the part of those who do evil quickly, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully determined in them to do evil.

12 But though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and have his days prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that fear before him.

He that has sinned has done evil from that time, and long from beforehand: nevertheless I know, that it is well with them that fear God, that they may fear before him:

13 But it shall not be well with the wicked: he shall be like a shadow, and shall not prolong his days, because he feareth not before God.

but it shall not be well with the ungodly, and he shall not prolong his days, [which are] as a shadow; forasmuch as he fears not before God.

14 There is a vanity which taketh place upon the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked, and that there are wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous. I said, “This also is vanity!”

There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there are righteous persons to whom it happens according to the doing of the ungodly; and there are ungodly men, to whom it happens according to the doing of the just: I said, This is also vanity.

15 Then I commended joy; because nothing is good for a man under the sun, except to eat and to drink and to be joyful; for it is this that abideth with him for his labor during the days of his life which God giveth him under the sun.

Then I praised mirth, because there is no good for a man under the sun, but to eat, and drink, and be merry: and this shall attend him in his labour all the days of his life, which God has given him under the sun.

16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom, and to see the business which is done upon the earth, —that one seeth no sleep with his eyes by day or by night, —

Whereupon I set my heart to know wisdom, and to perceive the trouble that was wrought upon the earth: for there is that neither by day nor night sees sleep with his eyes.

17 then I saw the whole work of God, that a man cannot comprehend that which is done under the sun; how much soever he labor to search it out, yet shall he not comprehend it; yea, though a wise man resolve to know it, yet shall he not be able to comprehend it.

And I beheld all the works of God, that a man shall not be able to discover the work which is wrought under the sun; whatsoever things a man shall endeavour to seek, however a man may labour to seek it, yet he shall not find it; yea, how much soever a wise man may speak of knowing it, he shall not be able to find it: for I applied all this to my heart, and my heart has seen all this.