Ecclesiastes 9
Christian Standard Bible
Enjoy Life Despite Death
9 Indeed, I took all this to heart and explained it all: The righteous, the wise, and their works are in God’s hands.(A) People don’t know whether to expect love or hate. Everything lies ahead of them. 2 Everything is the same for everyone:(B) There is one fate for the righteous and the wicked,(C) for the good and the bad,[a] for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not sacrifice. As it is for the good, so also it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who takes an oath, so also for the one who fears an oath. 3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: there is one fate for everyone. In addition, the hearts of people are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live;(D) after that they go to the dead. 4 But there is hope for whoever is joined[b] with all the living, since a live dog is better than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything. There is no longer a reward for them because the memory of them is forgotten.(E) 6 Their love, their hate, and their envy have already disappeared, and there is no longer a portion for them in all that is done under the sun.
7 Go, eat your bread with pleasure, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already accepted your works.(F) 8 Let your clothes be white all the time, and never let oil be lacking on your head.(G) 9 Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your fleeting[c] life,(H) which has been given to you under the sun, all your fleeting days. For that is your portion in life and in your struggle(I) under the sun. 10 Whatever your hands find to do, do with all your strength,(J) because there is no work, planning, knowledge, or wisdom(K) in Sheol where you are going.
The Limitations of Wisdom
11 Again I saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift,(L) or the battle to the strong,(M) or bread to the wise, or riches to the discerning, or favor to the skillful; rather, time and chance happen to all of them. 12 For certainly no one knows his time:(N) like fish caught in a cruel net or like birds caught in a trap,(O) so people are trapped in an evil time(P) as it suddenly falls on them.(Q)
13 I have observed that this also is wisdom under the sun, and it is significant to me: 14 There was a small city with few men in it. A great king came against it, surrounded it, and built large siege works against it. 15 Now a poor wise man was found in the city,(R) and he delivered the city by his wisdom.(S) Yet no one remembered that poor man. 16 And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength,(T) but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”
17 The calm words of the wise are heeded
more than the shouts of a ruler over fools.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war,
but one sinner can destroy much good.(U)
Ecclesiastes 9
New American Standard Bible
People Are in the Hand of God
9 For I have taken all this to my heart, even to [a]examine [b]it all, that righteous people, wise people, and their deeds are (A)in the hand of God. (B)People do not know whether it will be (C)love or hatred; anything [c]awaits them.
2 (D)It is the same for all. There is (E)one fate for the righteous and for the wicked; for the good, for the clean and the unclean; for the person who offers a sacrifice and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the good person is, so is the sinner; the one who swears an oath is just as the one who [d]is afraid to swear an oath. 3 This is an evil in everything that is done under the sun, that there is (F)one fate for everyone. Furthermore, (G)the hearts of the sons of mankind are full of evil, and (H)insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterward they go to the dead. 4 For whoever is joined to all the living, there is hope; for better a live dog, than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they will die; but the dead (I)do not know anything, nor do they have a reward any longer, for their (J)memory is forgotten. 6 Indeed their love, their hate, and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a (K)share in all that is done under the sun.
7 Go then, (L)eat your bread in happiness, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works. 8 See that your (M)clothes are white all the time, and that there is no lack of (N)oil on your head. 9 [e]Enjoy life with the wife whom you love all the days of your (O)futile life which He has given you under the sun, [f]all the days of your futility; for this is your (P)reward in life and in your work which you have labored under the sun.
Whatever Your Hand Finds to Do
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, (Q)do it with all your might; for there is no (R)activity, planning, knowledge, or wisdom in (S)Sheol where you are going.
11 I again saw under the sun that the (T)race is not to the swift and the (U)battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor (V)wealth to the discerning, nor favor to the skillful; for time and (W)chance overtake them all. 12 For indeed, a person does not (X)know his time: like fish that are caught in a treacherous net and (Y)birds caught in a snare, so the sons of mankind are (Z)ensnared at an evil time when it (AA)suddenly falls on them.
13 This too I saw as wisdom under the sun, and [g]it impressed me: 14 there (AB)was a small city with few men in it, and a great king came to it, surrounded it, and constructed large siegeworks against it. 15 But there was found in it a (AC)poor wise man, and he [h]saved the city (AD)by his wisdom. Yet (AE)no one remembered that poor man. 16 So I said, “(AF)Wisdom is better than strength.” But the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are [i]ignored. 17 The (AG)words of the wise heard in calm are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. 18 (AH)Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but (AI)one sinner destroys much good.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 9:1 Or explain
- Ecclesiastes 9:1 Lit all this
- Ecclesiastes 9:1 Lit is before them
- Ecclesiastes 9:2 Lit fears an oath
- Ecclesiastes 9:9 Lit See
- Ecclesiastes 9:9 all...your futility not found in some ancient versions
- Ecclesiastes 9:13 Lit it was great to me
- Ecclesiastes 9:15 Or might have saved
- Ecclesiastes 9:16 Lit not listened to
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