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 knoweth the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness 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 counsel thee: keep the king's command, and that in regard 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; stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.

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

Forasmuch as the king's word hath power; and who may say unto him: 'What doest thou?'

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

Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart discerneth time and judgment.

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

For to every matter there is a time and judgment; for the evil 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 knoweth not that which shall be; for even when it cometh to pass, who shall declare it unto him?

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 that hath power over the wind to retain the wind; neither hath he power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in war; neither shall wickedness deliver him that 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 have I seen, even applied my heart thereto, whatever the work that is done under the sun; what time one man had 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.

And so I saw the wicked buried, and they entered into their rest; but they that had done right went away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city; 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.

because a sinner doeth evil a hundred times, and prolongeth his days — though yet I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that 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 the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he feareth not 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, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men, to whom it happeneth 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.

So I commended mirth, that a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry, and that this should accompany him in his labour all the days of his life which God hath 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 neither day nor night do men see sleep with their eyes —

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 though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further, though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.