Ecclesiastes 9
English Standard Version
Death Comes to All
9 But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, (A)how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are (B)in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him. 2 (C)It is the same for all, since (D)the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil,[a] to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who (E)swears is as he who shuns an oath. 3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that (F)the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and (G)madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. 4 But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they will die, but (H)the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for (I)the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.
Enjoy Life with the One You Love
7 Go, (J)eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.
8 (K)Let your garments be always white. Let not (L)oil be lacking on your head.
9 Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your (M)vain[b] life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your (N)portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, (O)do it with your might,[c] (P)for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.
Wisdom Better Than Folly
11 (Q)Again I saw that under the sun (R)the race is not to the swift, nor (S)the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and (T)chance (U)happen to them all. 12 For man (V)does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and (W)like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are (X)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 (Y)a poor, wise man, and he by his (Z)wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. 16 But I say that (AA)wisdom is better than might, though (AB)the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.
17 The words of the wise heard in (AC)quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. 18 (AD)Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but (AE)one sinner destroys much good.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 9:2 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew lacks and the evil
- 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
Lexham English Bible
The Same Fate—Death—Awaits Everyone
9 So all this I laid to my heart, and I concluded[a] that the righteous and the wise, as well as their deeds, are in the hand of God. So no one knows anything that will come to them, whether it will be love or hatred. 2 The same fate comes to everyone:
to the righteous and to the wicked,
to the good and to the wicked,[b]
to the clean and to the unclean,
to those who sacrifice and to those who do not sacrifice.
As with the good man, so also to the sinner;
as with those who swear an oath, so also those who fear oaths.
3 This is the injustice[c] that is done under the sun:
the same fate comes to everyone.
Also the hearts of humans[d] are full of evil;
delusion is in their hearts during their lives, and then they die.
Death Deprives Humans of Everything in Life
4 Whoever is joined[e] to all the living has hope. After all, even a live dog is better than a dead lion! 5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead do not know anything. They no longer have a reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten. 6 What they loved and hated, as well as what they desired, has already perished. They no longer have any share in what is done under the sun.
Enjoy Life While It Lasts
7 Go—eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart! For God already has approved your deeds. 8 Always be clothed in white garments, and never let your head lack oil! 9 Enjoy life with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which he gives you under the sun, because this is your lot in life and in the toil with which you toil under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do—do it with all your might; for in Sheol—where you are going—no one works, plans, knows, or thinks about anything.
The Injustice of Time and Chance
11 I looked again and saw under the sun that the race does not belong to the swift, the battle does not belong to the mighty, food does not belong to the wise, wealth does not belong to the intelligent, and success[f] does not belong to the skillful, for time and chance befalls all of them. 12 For man does not know his time. Just as fish are caught in a cruel net and like birds who are seized in a snare, so also humans[g] are ensnared at a cruel time when it falls suddenly upon them.
Wisdom—Although Vulnerable—is Superior to Power
13 I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. 14 There was a small city with few people in it. A great king came and besieged it, building great siege works against it. 15 Now, a poor wise man was found in it, and he delivered the city by his wisdom. 16 So I concluded that wisdom is better than might, yet the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.
Wisdom—Although Vulnerable—is Superior to Folly
17 The words of the wise are heard in peace
more than the shouting of a ruler is heard among the fools.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war,
but one sinner destroys much good.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 9:1 Or “examined”
- Ecclesiastes 9:2 Several versions (Greek, Syriac, Latin) insert “and to the bad”
- Ecclesiastes 9:3 Literally “evil”
- Ecclesiastes 9:3 Literally “the sons of the man”
- Ecclesiastes 9:4 The Kethib reads “chosen,” but the Qere as well as all the versions and numerous medieval Hebrew manuscripts read “joined”
- Ecclesiastes 9:11 Or “favor”
- Ecclesiastes 9:12 Literally “the sons of the man”
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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