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Ecclesiastes 8:2-10:20
English Standard Version
Ecclesiastes 8:2-10:20
English Standard Version
2 I say:[a] Keep the king's command, because of (A)God's oath to him.[b] 3 Be not hasty to (B)go from his presence. Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases. 4 For the word of the king is supreme, and (C)who may say to him, “What are you doing?” 5 Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way.[c] 6 For there is a time and a way (D)for everything, although man's trouble[d] lies heavy on him. 7 For he (E)does not know what is to be, for (F)who can tell him how it will be? 8 No man has power to (G)retain the spirit, (H)or power over the day of death. There is no (I)discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it. 9 (J)All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt.
Those Who Fear God Will Do Well
10 Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of (K)the holy place and were (L)praised[e] in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity.[f] 11 Because (M)the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, (N)the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. 12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and (O)prolongs his life, yet I know that (P)it will be well with (Q)those who fear God, because they fear before him. 13 But it will (R)not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like (S)a shadow, because he does not fear before God.
Man Cannot Know God's Ways
14 There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people (T)to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people (U)to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. 15 And I commend joy, for man (V)has nothing better under the sun but to (W)eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.
16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see (X)the business that is done on earth, how neither (Y)day nor night do one's eyes see sleep, 17 then I saw all the work of God, that (Z)man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, (AA)he cannot find it out.
Death Comes to All
9 But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, (AB)how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are (AC)in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him. 2 (AD)It is the same for all, since (AE)the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil,[g] to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who (AF)swears is as he who shuns an oath. 3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that (AG)the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and (AH)madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. 4 But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they will die, but (AI)the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for (AJ)the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.
Enjoy Life with the One You Love
7 Go, (AK)eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.
8 (AL)Let your garments be always white. Let not (AM)oil be lacking on your head.
9 Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your (AN)vain[h] life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your (AO)portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, (AP)do it with your might,[i] (AQ)for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.
Wisdom Better Than Folly
11 (AR)Again I saw that under the sun (AS)the race is not to the swift, nor (AT)the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and (AU)chance (AV)happen to them all. 12 For man (AW)does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and (AX)like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are (AY)snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.
13 I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. 14 There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. 15 But there was found in it (AZ)a poor, wise man, and he by his (BA)wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. 16 But I say that (BB)wisdom is better than might, though (BC)the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.
17 The words of the wise heard in (BD)quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. 18 (BE)Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but (BF)one sinner destroys much good.
10 Dead flies make (BG)the perfumer's ointment give off a stench;
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2 (BH)A wise man's heart inclines him to the right,
but a fool's heart to the left.
3 Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense,
and he (BI)says to everyone that he is a fool.
4 If the anger of the ruler rises against you, (BJ)do not leave your place,
(BK)for calmness[j] will lay great offenses to rest.
5 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were (BL)an error proceeding from the ruler: 6 (BM)folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place. 7 (BN)I have seen slaves (BO)on horses, and princes walking on the ground like slaves.
8 He who (BP)digs a pit will fall into it,
and (BQ)a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall.
9 (BR)He who quarries stones is hurt by them,
and he who (BS)splits logs is endangered by them.
10 If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge,
he must use more strength,
but wisdom helps one to succeed.[k]
11 If the serpent bites before it is (BT)charmed,
there is no advantage to the charmer.
12 The words of a wise man's mouth (BU)win him favor,[l]
but (BV)the lips of a fool consume him.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness,
and the end of his talk is evil madness.
14 (BW)A fool multiplies words,
though no man knows what is to be,
and who can tell him (BX)what will be after him?
15 The toil of a fool wearies him,
for he does not know (BY)the way to the city.
16 (BZ)Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child,
and your princes feast in the morning!
17 Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility,
and your princes feast at the proper time,
for strength, and not for (CA)drunkenness!
18 Through sloth the roof sinks in,
and through indolence the house leaks.
19 Bread is made for laughter,
and (CB)wine gladdens life,
and (CC)money answers everything.
20 Even in your thoughts, (CD)do not curse the king,
nor in your (CE)bedroom curse the rich,
for a bird of the air will carry your voice,
or some winged creature tell the matter.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 8:2 Hebrew lacks say
- Ecclesiastes 8:2 Or because of your oath to God
- Ecclesiastes 8:5 Or and judgment
- Ecclesiastes 8:6 Or evil
- Ecclesiastes 8:10 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts forgotten
- Ecclesiastes 8:10 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also twice in verse 14 (see note on 1:2)
- Ecclesiastes 9:2 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew lacks and the evil
- Ecclesiastes 9:9 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)
- Ecclesiastes 9:10 Or finds to do with your might, do it
- Ecclesiastes 10:4 Hebrew healing
- Ecclesiastes 10:10 Or wisdom is an advantage for success
- Ecclesiastes 10:12 Or are gracious
Ecclesiastes 8:2-10:20
New International Version
Ecclesiastes 8:2-10:20
New International Version
Obey the King
2 Obey the king’s command, I say, because you took an oath before God. 3 Do not be in a hurry to leave the king’s presence.(A) Do not stand up for a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases. 4 Since a king’s word is supreme, who can say to him, “What are you doing?(B)”
5 Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm,
and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.
6 For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter,(C)
though a person may be weighed down by misery.
7 Since no one knows the future,
who can tell someone else what is to come?
8 As no one has power over the wind to contain it,
so[a] no one has power over the time of their death.
As no one is discharged in time of war,
so wickedness will not release those who practice it.
9 All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is a time when a man lords it over others to his own[b] hurt. 10 Then too, I saw the wicked buried(D)—those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise[c] in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless.
11 When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong. 12 Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better(E) with those who fear God,(F) who are reverent before him.(G) 13 Yet because the wicked do not fear God,(H) it will not go well with them, and their days(I) will not lengthen like a shadow.
14 There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve.(J) This too, I say, is meaningless.(K) 15 So I commend the enjoyment of life(L), because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink(M) and be glad.(N) Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.
16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom(O) and to observe the labor that is done on earth(P)—people getting no sleep day or night— 17 then I saw all that God has done.(Q) No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it.(R)
A Common Destiny for All
9 So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them.(S) 2 All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad,[d] the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.
As it is with the good,
so with the sinful;
as it is with those who take oaths,
so with those who are afraid to take them.(T)
3 This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all.(U) The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live,(V) and afterward they join the dead.(W) 4 Anyone who is among the living has hope[e]—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!
5 For the living know that they will die,
but the dead know nothing;(X)
they have no further reward,
and even their name(Y) is forgotten.(Z)
6 Their love, their hate
and their jealousy have long since vanished;
never again will they have a part
in anything that happens under the sun.(AA)
7 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine(AB) with a joyful heart,(AC) for God has already approved what you do. 8 Always be clothed in white,(AD) and always anoint your head with oil. 9 Enjoy life with your wife,(AE) whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot(AF) in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. 10 Whatever(AG) your hand finds to do, do it with all your might,(AH) for in the realm of the dead,(AI) where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.(AJ)
11 I have seen something else under the sun:
The race is not to the swift
or the battle to the strong,(AK)
nor does food come to the wise(AL)
or wealth to the brilliant
or favor to the learned;
but time and chance(AM) happen to them all.(AN)
12 Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come:
As fish are caught in a cruel net,
or birds are taken in a snare,
so people are trapped by evil times(AO)
that fall unexpectedly upon them.(AP)
Wisdom Better Than Folly
13 I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom(AQ) that greatly impressed me: 14 There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it. 15 Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man.(AR) 16 So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.(AS)
17 The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded
than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
18 Wisdom(AT) is better than weapons of war,
but one sinner destroys much good.
10 As dead flies give perfume a bad smell,
so a little folly(AU) outweighs wisdom and honor.
2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right,
but the heart of the fool to the left.
3 Even as fools walk along the road,
they lack sense
and show everyone(AV) how stupid they are.
4 If a ruler’s anger rises against you,
do not leave your post;(AW)
calmness can lay great offenses to rest.(AX)
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun,
the sort of error that arises from a ruler:
6 Fools are put in many high positions,(AY)
while the rich occupy the low ones.
7 I have seen slaves on horseback,
while princes go on foot like slaves.(AZ)
8 Whoever digs a pit may fall into it;(BA)
whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.(BB)
9 Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them;
whoever splits logs may be endangered by them.(BC)
10 If the ax is dull
and its edge unsharpened,
more strength is needed,
but skill will bring success.
11 If a snake bites before it is charmed,
the charmer receives no fee.(BD)
12 Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious,(BE)
but fools are consumed by their own lips.(BF)
13 At the beginning their words are folly;
at the end they are wicked madness—
14 and fools multiply words.(BG)
No one knows what is coming—
who can tell someone else what will happen after them?(BH)
15 The toil of fools wearies them;
they do not know the way to town.
16 Woe to the land whose king was a servant[f](BI)
and whose princes feast in the morning.
17 Blessed is the land whose king is of noble birth
and whose princes eat at a proper time—
for strength and not for drunkenness.(BJ)
18 Through laziness, the rafters sag;
because of idle hands, the house leaks.(BK)
19 A feast is made for laughter,
wine(BL) makes life merry,
and money is the answer for everything.
20 Do not revile the king(BM) even in your thoughts,
or curse the rich in your bedroom,
because a bird in the sky may carry your words,
and a bird on the wing may report what you say.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 8:8 Or over the human spirit to retain it, / and so
- Ecclesiastes 8:9 Or to their
- Ecclesiastes 8:10 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (Aquila); most Hebrew manuscripts and are forgotten
- Ecclesiastes 9:2 Septuagint (Aquila), Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew does not have and the bad.
- Ecclesiastes 9:4 Or What then is to be chosen? With all who live, there is hope
- Ecclesiastes 10:16 Or king is a child
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.