Death Comes to All

For I [a]considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all: (A)that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. People know neither love nor hatred by anything they see before them. (B)All things come alike to all:

One event happens to the righteous and the wicked;
To the [b]good, the clean, and the unclean;
To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice.
As is the good, so is the sinner;
He who takes an oath as he who fears an oath.

This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

For the living know that they will die;
But (C)the dead know nothing,
And they have no more reward,
For (D)the memory of them is forgotten.
Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished;
Nevermore will they have a share
In anything done under the sun.

Go, (E)eat your bread with joy,
And drink your wine with a merry heart;
For God has already accepted your works.
Let your garments always be white,
And let your head lack no oil.

[c]Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; (F)for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun.

10 (G)Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your (H)might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.

11 I returned (I)and saw under the sun that—

The race is not to the swift,
Nor the battle to the strong,
Nor bread to the wise,
Nor riches to men of understanding,
Nor favor to men of skill;
But time and (J)chance happen to them all.
12 For (K)man also does not know his time:
Like fish taken in a cruel net,
Like birds caught in a snare,
So the sons of men are (L)snared in an evil time,
When it falls suddenly upon them.

Wisdom Superior to Folly

13 This wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and it seemed great to me: 14 (M)There was a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great [d]snares around it. 15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man.

16 Then I said:

“Wisdom is better than (N)strength.
Nevertheless (O)the poor man’s wisdom is despised,
And his words are not heard.
17 Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard
Rather than the shout of a ruler of fools.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war;
But (P)one sinner destroys much good.”

Wisdom and Folly

10 Dead[e] flies [f]putrefy the perfumer’s ointment,
And cause it to give off a foul odor;
So does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor.
A wise man’s heart is at his right hand,
But a fool’s heart at his left.
Even when a fool walks along the way,
He lacks wisdom,
(Q)And he shows everyone that he is a fool.
If the spirit of the ruler rises against you,
(R)Do not leave your post;
For (S)conciliation[g] pacifies great offenses.

There is an evil I have seen under the sun,
As an error proceeding from the ruler:
(T)Folly is set in [h]great dignity,
While the rich sit in a lowly place.
I have seen servants (U)on horses,
While princes walk on the ground like servants.

(V)He who digs a pit will fall into it,
And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent.
He who quarries stones may be hurt by them,
And he who splits wood may be endangered by it.
10 If the ax is dull,
And one does not sharpen the edge,
Then he must use more strength;
But wisdom [i]brings success.

11 A serpent may bite (W)when it is not charmed;
The [j]babbler is no different.
12 (X)The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious,
But (Y)the lips of a fool shall swallow him up;
13 The words of his mouth begin with foolishness,
And the end of his talk is raving madness.
14 (Z)A fool also multiplies words.
No man knows what is to be;
Who can tell him (AA)what will be after him?
15 The labor of fools wearies them,
For they do not even know how to go to the city!

16 (AB)Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child,
And your princes feast in the morning!
17 Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles,
And your (AC)princes feast at the proper time—
For strength and not for drunkenness!
18 Because of laziness the [k]building decays,
And (AD)through idleness of hands the house leaks.
19 A feast is made for laughter,
And (AE)wine makes merry;
But money answers everything.

20 (AF)Do not curse the king, even in your thought;
Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom;
For a bird of the air may carry your voice,
And a bird in flight may tell the matter.

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 9:1 Lit. put
  2. Ecclesiastes 9:2 LXX, Syr., Vg. good and bad,
  3. Ecclesiastes 9:9 Lit. See life
  4. Ecclesiastes 9:14 LXX, Syr., Vg. bulwarks
  5. Ecclesiastes 10:1 Lit. Flies of death
  6. Ecclesiastes 10:1 Tg., Vg. omit putrefy
  7. Ecclesiastes 10:4 Lit. healing, health
  8. Ecclesiastes 10:6 exalted positions
  9. Ecclesiastes 10:10 Lit. is a successful advantage
  10. Ecclesiastes 10:11 Lit. master of the tongue
  11. Ecclesiastes 10:18 Lit. rafters sink

The Lord executes righteousness
And justice for all who are oppressed.
(A)He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the children of Israel.
(B)The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
(C)He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
10 (D)He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He (E)removed our transgressions from us.
13 (F)As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
14 For He [a]knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 103:14 Understands our constitution

10 If you (A)faint in the day of adversity,
Your strength is small.

11 (B)Deliver those who are drawn toward death,
And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, “Surely we did not know this,”
Does not (C)He who weighs the hearts consider it?
He who keeps your soul, does He not know it?
And will He not render to each man (D)according to his deeds?

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19 What am I saying then? (A)That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles (B)sacrifice (C)they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21 (D)You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and (E)the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the (F)Lord’s table and of the table of demons. 22 Or do we (G)provoke the Lord to jealousy? (H)Are we stronger than He?

All to the Glory of God(I)

23 All things are lawful [a]for me, but not all things are (J)helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things [b]edify. 24 Let no one seek his own, but each one (K)the other’s well-being.

25 (L)Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; 26 for (M)“the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.”

27 If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, (N)eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. 28 But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it (O)for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; [c]for (P)“the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.” 29 “Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other. For (Q)why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience? 30 But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food (R)over which I give thanks?

31 (S)Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 (T)Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just (U)as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 10:23 NU omits for me
  2. 1 Corinthians 10:23 build up
  3. 1 Corinthians 10:28 NU omits the rest of v. 28.

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