Ecclesiastes 9

1 But all this I have laid unto my heart, so as to clear up the whole of this, that the righteous and the wise, and their works, [are] in the hand of God, neither love nor hatred doth man know, the whole [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 The whole [is] as to the whole; one event is to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean, and to him who is sacrificing, and to him who is not sacrificing; as [is] the good, so [is] the sinner, he who is swearing as he who is fearing 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 among all that hath been done under the sun, that one event [is] to all, and also the heart of the sons of man is full of evil, and madness [is] in their heart during their life, and after it — unto 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 But [to] him who is joined unto all the living there is confidence, for to a living dog it [is] better than to the 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 die, and the dead know not anything, and there is no more to them a reward, for their remembrance hath been 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 Their love also, their hatred also, their envy also, hath already perished, and they have no more a portion to the age in all that hath been 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, eat with joy thy bread, and drink with a glad heart thy wine, for already hath God been pleased with thy 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 At all times let thy garments be white, and let not perfume be lacking on thy head.

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

9 See life with the wife whom thou hast loved, all the days of the life of thy vanity, that He hath given to thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity, for it [is] thy portion in life, even of thy labour that thou art labouring at 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 All that thy hand findeth to do, with thy power do, for there is no work, and device, and knowledge, and wisdom in Sheol whither thou art 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 have turned so as to see under the sun, that not to the swift [is] the race, nor to the mighty the battle, nor even to the wise bread, nor even to the intelligent wealth, nor even to the skilful grace, for time and chance happen with 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 even man knoweth not his time; as fish that are taken hold of by an evil net, and as birds that are taken hold of by a snare, like these [are] the sons of man snared at an evil time, when it falleth upon them suddenly.

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 This also I have seen: wisdom under the sun, and it is great to me.

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

14 A little city, and few men in it, and a great king hath come unto it, and hath surrounded it, and hath built against it great bulwarks;

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 and there hath been found in it a poor wise man, and he hath delivered the city by his wisdom, and men have not remembered that 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 And I said, 'Better [is] wisdom than might, and the wisdom of the poor 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 in quiet are heard, More than the cry of a ruler over fools.

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

18 Better [is] wisdom than weapons of conflict, And one sinner destroyeth much good!

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