Ecclesiastes 8:2-6
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.
Ecclesiastes 8:2-6
Holman Christian Standard Bible
2 Keep[a] the king’s command because of your oath made before God.(A) 3 Do not be in a hurry; leave his presence,(B) and don’t persist in a bad cause, since he will do whatever he wants. 4 For the king’s word is authoritative, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?”(C) 5 The one who keeps a command will not experience anything harmful,(D) and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure. 6 For every activity there is a right time and procedure,(E) even though man’s troubles are heavy on him.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ecclesiastes 8:2 Some Hb mss, LXX, Vg, Tg, Syr; other Hb mss read I, keep
Ecclesiastes 8:2-6
King James Version
2 I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.
3 Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
4 Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
5 Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.
6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.
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Ecclesiastes 8:2-6
New King James Version
Obey Authorities for God’s Sake
2 I say, “Keep the king’s commandment (A)for the sake of your oath to God. 3 (B)Do not be hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand for an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him.”
4 Where the word of a king is, there is power;
And (C)who may say to him, “What are you doing?”
5 He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful;
And a wise man’s heart [a]discerns both time and judgment,
6 Because (D)for every matter there is a time and judgment,
Though the misery of man [b]increases greatly.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 8:5 Lit. knows
- Ecclesiastes 8:6 is great upon him
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.