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Ecclesiastes 9:8-15
English Standard Version
Ecclesiastes 9:8-15
English Standard Version
8 (A)Let your garments be always white. Let not (B)oil be lacking on your head.
9 Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your (C)vain[a] life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your (D)portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, (E)do it with your might,[b] (F)for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.
Wisdom Better Than Folly
11 (G)Again I saw that under the sun (H)the race is not to the swift, nor (I)the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and (J)chance (K)happen to them all. 12 For man (L)does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and (M)like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are (N)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 (O)a poor, wise man, and he by his (P)wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 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 9:8-15
New International Version
Ecclesiastes 9:8-15
New International Version
8 Always be clothed in white,(A) and always anoint your head with oil. 9 Enjoy life with your wife,(B) 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(C) in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. 10 Whatever(D) your hand finds to do, do it with all your might,(E) for in the realm of the dead,(F) where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.(G)
11 I have seen something else under the sun:
The race is not to the swift
or the battle to the strong,(H)
nor does food come to the wise(I)
or wealth to the brilliant
or favor to the learned;
but time and chance(J) happen to them all.(K)
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(L)
that fall unexpectedly upon them.(M)
Wisdom Better Than Folly
13 I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom(N) 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.(O)
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.