Ecclesiastes 9

1 For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn’t know it; all is before them.

For I gave my mind to all this, even to search out all this, that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God, and yet neither his love nor hatred doth any man know. All is before them.

2 All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn’t sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath, as he who fears an oath.

All [[cometh to them]] as to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not; as is the good, so is the sinner; he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all. Yes 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.

This is an evil among all things which take place under the sun, that there is one event to all; therefore also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and afterward they go down to the dead.

4 For to him who is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

For who is there that is excepted? With all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten.

For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not any thing, and there is no more to them any advantage, for their memory is forgotten.

6 Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither do they any longer have a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.

Their love also, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they a portion any more for ever in any thing which taketh place under the sun.

7 Go your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works.

Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a cheerful heart; for long since hath God been pleased with thy works.

8 Let your garments be always white, and don’t let your head lack oil.

Let thy garments be always white, and let not fragrant oil be wanting upon thy head.

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

Enjoy life with the wife whom thou lovest, all the days of thy vain life which he hath given thee under the sun, all thy vain days. For this is thy portion in life, and in thy labor with which thou weariest thyself under the sun.

10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going. (Sheol h7585)

Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might! For there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the under-world, whither thou goest. (Sheol h7585)

11 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 favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.

I turned and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor yet bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of knowledge; but time and chance happen to them all.

12 For man also doesn’t know his time. As the fish that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them.

For man knoweth not his time. As fishes that are taken in a destructive net, and as birds that are caught in a snare, so are the sons of men snared in a time of distress, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

13 I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to me.

This also have I seen; even wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me.

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

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

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

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

16 Then I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

Then said I, “Wisdom is better than strength;” and yet the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

17 The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules among fools.

The quiet words of the wise are sooner heard than the shouting of a foolish ruler.

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

Wisdom is better than weapons of war. But one offender destroyeth much good.