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 like the wise? and who knoweth [as well] the explanation of a thing? a man's wisdom enlighteneth his face, and the boldness of his face will be lessened.

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 which regardeth the oath [to him taken] by 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; engage not in an evil thing; for whatsoever pleaseth him, can he do;

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

Because the word of a king is powerful; 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 will experience no evil thing: and a wise man's heart knoweth both time and the just consequence.

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

Because for every pursuit there is a time and a just consequence; for the evil of man [resteth] heavily 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 will be; for who can tell him how it will 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.

No man hath control over the spirit to detain the spirit; and there is no control over the day of death; and there is no representation in that war; and wickedness will not deliver those that practise 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, and directed my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time when one man ruleth over another to his own injury.

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.

Then also did I see the wicked buried, who had gone to their rest; but those who had acted correctly had to go away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city. Also this 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 the punishment against evil deeds is not executed speedily, therefore is the heart of the sons of men filled up 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.

But let a sinner do evil a hundred times, and [God] withhold long his punishment from him; still do I truly know for certain that it will be well with those that fear God, because they are afraid of 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.

And that it will not be well with the wicked, and that he will not endure many days, like the shadow; because he is not afraid of 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 in accordance with the deeds of the wicked; again, there are wicked men, to whom it happeneth in accordance with the deeds 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.

Therefore do I praise joyfulness, that there is nothing better for man under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be joyful; for this will adhere to him in his toil, during 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 employment that is done upon the earth, how even neither by day nor by night sleep is seen in the eyes of some men:

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 did I see [in] the whole work of God, that a man is not able to find out the work that is done under the sun; inasmuch as though a man were to toil to seek for it, he would yet not find it; and even if the wise were to think to know it, he would yet not be able to find it.