Ecclesiastes 9

1 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.

For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knows either love or hatred by all that is before them.

2 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.

All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrifices, and to him that sacrifices not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that swears, as he that fears an oath.

3 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.

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

4 For anyone who is united to all the living, there is hope, just as a living dog is better than a dead lion.

In order to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5 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.

For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

6 Their love, hatred, and envy have vanished long ago. They will never have a place again in anything done under the sun.

Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

7 Go your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of celebrating good works.

Go your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God now accepts your works.

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

Let your garments be always white; and let your head lack no ointment.

9 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.

Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of the life of your vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all the days of your vanity: for that is your portion in this life, and in your labour which you take under the sun.

10 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)

Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, where you go. (Sheol h7585)

11 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.

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happens to them all.

12 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.

For man also knows not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them.

13 I have also seen wisdom under the sun in a way that seemed great to me.

This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:

14 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.

There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

15 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.

Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.

16 So I concluded, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.”

Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

17 The words of wise people spoken quietly are heard better than the shouts of any ruler among fools.

The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that rules among fools.

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

Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroys much good.