Ecclesiastes 8

1 Who [is] as the wise? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? The wisdom of man causeth his face to shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.

Who is as the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face to shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.

2 I pray thee, the commandment of a king keep, even for the sake of the oath of God.

I say, Keep the king's command, and that because of the oath of God.

3 Be not troubled at his presence, thou mayest go, stand not in an evil thing, for all that he pleaseth he doth.

Be not hasty to go out of his presence. Persist not in an evil matter, for he does whatever pleases him.

4 Where the word of a king [is] power [is], and who saith to him, 'What dost thou?'

For the king's word has power, and who may say to him, What are thou doing?

5 Whoso is keeping a command knoweth no evil thing, and time and judgment the heart of the wise knoweth.

He who keeps a commandment shall know no evil thing. And a wise man's heart discerns the time and decision.

6 For to every delight there is a time and a judgment, for the misfortune of man is great upon him.

For to every purpose there is a time and decision, although the distress of man is great upon him.

7 For he knoweth not that which shall be, for when it shall be who declareth to him?

For he knows not that which shall be, for who can tell him how it shall be?

8 There is no man ruling over the spirit to restrain the spirit, and there is no authority over the day of death, and there is no discharge in battle, and wickedness delivereth not its possessors.

There is no man who has power over the spirit to retain the spirit, nor has he power over the day of death. And there is no discharge in war. Neither shall wickedness deliver him who is given to it.

9 All this I have seen so as to give my heart to every work that hath been done under the sun; a time that man hath ruled over man to his own evil.

All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one man has power over another to his hurt.

10 And so I have seen the wicked buried, and they went in, even from the Holy Place they go, and they are forgotten in the city whether they had so done. This also [is] vanity.

So I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were praised in the city where they had so done. This also is vanity.

11 Because sentence hath not been done [on] an evil work speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of man is full within them to do evil.

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.

12 Though a sinner is doing evil a hundred [times], and prolonging [himself] for it, surely also I know that there is good to those fearing God, who fear before Him.

Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and prolongs his days, yet surely I know that it shall be well with those who fear God, who fear before him.

13 And good is not to the wicked, and he doth not prolong days as a shadow, because he is not fearing before God.

But it shall not be well with a wicked man, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he did not fear before God.

14 There is a vanity that hath been done upon the earth, that there are righteous ones unto whom it is coming according to the work of the wicked, and there are wicked ones unto whom it is coming according to the work of the righteous. I have said that this also [is] vanity.

There is a vanity which is done upon 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.

15 And I have praised mirth because there is no good to man under the sun except to eat and to drink, and to rejoice, and it remaineth with him of his labour the days of his life that God hath given to him under the sun.

Then I commended joy, because a man has no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be cheerful. For that shall abide with him in his labor all the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.

16 When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that hath been done on the earth, (for there is also a spectator in whose eyes sleep is not by day and by night),

When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth (for also there is he who sees sleep with his eyes neither day nor night),

17 then I considered all the work of God, that man is not able to find out the work that hath been done under the sun, because though man labour to seek, yet he doth not find; and even though the wise man speak of knowing he is not able to find.

then I beheld all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. Because however much a man labors to seek it out, yet he shall not find it. Yea moreover, though a wise man thinks to know it, yet he shall not be able to find it.