Ecclesiastes 9:4-10
International Standard Version
4 “While someone is among the living, hope remains,” because “it is better to be a living dog than to be a dead lion.”[a]
5 At least the living know they will die,
but the dead know nothing;
they no longer have a reward,
since memory about them has been forgotten.
6 Furthermore, their love, their hate, and their envy
have been long lost.
Never again will they have a part
in what happens on earth.
The Fine Art of Enjoying Life
7 Go ahead and enjoy your meals as you eat. Drink your wine with a joyful attitude, because God already has approved your actions. 8 Always keep your garments white, and don’t fail to anoint your head. 9 Find joy in living with your wife whom you love every day of your pointless life that God[b] gave you on earth, because this is your life assignment and your work to do on earth. 10 Whatever the activity in which you engage, do it with all your ability, because there is no work, no planning, no learning, and no wisdom in the next world[c] where you’re going.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ecclesiastes 9:4 These are ancient proverbs.
- Ecclesiastes 9:9 Lit. he
- Ecclesiastes 9:10 Lit. in Sheol; i.e. the realm of the dead
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