Ecclesiastes 8
Christian Standard Bible
Wisdom, Authorities, and Inequities
8 Who is like the wise person, and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A person’s wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed.(A)
2 Keep[a] the king’s command because of your oath made before God.(B) 3 Do not be in a hurry; leave his presence,(C) 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?” (D) 5 The one who keeps a command will not experience anything harmful,(E) and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure. 6 For every activity there is a right time and procedure,(F) even though a person’s troubles are heavy on him. 7 Yet no one knows what will happen(G) because who can tell him what will happen? 8 No one has authority over the wind[b] to restrain it,(H) and there is no authority over the day of death;(I) no one is discharged during battle, and wickedness will not allow those who practice it to escape. 9 All this I have seen, applying my mind to all the work that is done under the sun, at a time when one person has authority over another to his harm.
10 In such circumstances, I saw the wicked buried. They came and went from the holy place,(J) and they were praised[c] in the city where they did those things. This too is futile. 11 Because the sentence against an evil act is not carried out quickly,(K) the heart of people is filled with the desire to commit evil. 12 Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life,(L) I also know that it will go well with God-fearing people,(M) for they are reverent before him. 13 However, it will not go well with the wicked,(N) and they will not lengthen their days like a shadow,(O) for they are not reverent before God.
14 There is a futility that is done on the earth: there are righteous people who get what the actions of the wicked deserve,(P) and there are wicked people who get what the actions of the righteous deserve.(Q) I say that this too is futile. 15 So I commended enjoyment because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat, drink, and enjoy himself,(R) for this will accompany him in his labor during the days of his life that God gives him under the sun.
16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom(S) and to observe the activity that is done on the earth (even though one’s eyes do not close in sleep day or night), 17 I observed all the work of God and concluded that a person is unable to discover the work that is done under the sun. Even though a person labors hard to explore it, he cannot find it;(T) even if a wise person claims to know it, he is unable to discover it.
Ecclesiastes 8
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Obey the King and Enjoy Yourself
8 Who is like the wise man?
And who knows the interpretation of a thing?
Being wise makes one’s face shine,
but arrogance changes one’s face.(A)
2 Keep[a] the king’s command, and because of your sacred oath(B) 3 do not be terrified; go from his presence; do not delay when the matter is unpleasant, for he does whatever he pleases. 4 For the word of the king is powerful, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?”(C) 5 Whoever obeys a command will meet no harm, and the wise mind will know the time and way. 6 For every matter has its time and way, although the troubles of mortals lie heavy upon them.(D) 7 Indeed, they do not know what is to be, for who can tell them how it will be?(E) 8 No one has power over the wind[b] to restrain the wind[c] or power over the day of death; there is no discharge from the battle, nor does wickedness deliver those who practice it.(F) 9 All this I observed, applying my mind to all that is done under the sun, while one person exercises authority over another to the other’s hurt.(G)
God’s Ways Are Inscrutable
10 Then I saw the wicked approaching to sacrifice;[d] they go in and out of the holy place, and they boast[e] in the city that they have done such things. This also is vanity. 11 Because sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the human heart is fully set to do evil. 12 Though sinners do evil a hundred times and prolong their lives, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they stand in fear before him,(H) 13 but it will not be well with the wicked, neither will they prolong their days like a shadow, because they do not stand in fear before God.(I)
14 There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people who are treated according to the conduct of the wicked and wicked people who are treated according to the conduct of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.(J) 15 So I commend enjoyment, for there is nothing better for people under the sun than to eat and drink and enjoy themselves, for this will go with them in their toil through the days of life that God gives them under the sun.(K)
16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on earth, how one’s eyes see sleep neither day nor night, 17 then I saw all the work of God, that no one can find out what is happening under the sun. However much they may toil in seeking, they will not find it out; even though those who are wise claim to know, they cannot find it out.(L)
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.