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 man, and who knoweth the explanation of a thing? A man's wisdom brighteneth his countenance, and the harshness 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 to keep the king's commandment, and that on account 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 in haste to depart from his presence; persist not in an evil thing; for whatever pleaseth him, that he doeth.

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

For the word of the king is powerful; and who can say to him, “What doest thou?”

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

He that keepeth the commandment shall experience no evil; and the heart of the wise man hath regard to 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 thing there is a time and judgment. For the misery 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 no one knoweth what 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.

No man hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit, and no man hath power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in that war; and wickedness shall not deliver those that are guilty of 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 I have given heed to all things that are done under the sun. There is a time when man ruleth over man 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, while the righteous came and went 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 doth the heart of the sons of men become bold within 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 though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and have his days prolonged, yet surely 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: he shall be like a shadow, and shall not prolong his days, 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 taketh place upon the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked, and that there are wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous. I said, “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 nothing is good for a man under the sun, except to eat and to drink and to be joyful; for it is this that abideth with him for his labor during the days of his life which God giveth 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 mind to know wisdom, and to see the business which is done upon the earth, —that one seeth no sleep with his eyes by day or by 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 saw the whole work of God, that a man cannot comprehend that which is done under the sun; how much soever he labor to search it out, yet shall he not comprehend it; yea, though a wise man resolve to know it, yet shall he not be able to comprehend it.