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
Ecclesiastes 9
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Take Life as It Comes
9 All this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hate one does not know. Everything that confronts them 2 is vanity,[a] since the same fate comes to all, to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil,[b] to the clean and the unclean, to those who sacrifice and those who do not sacrifice. As are the good, so are the sinners; those who swear are like those who shun an oath.(A) 3 This is an evil in all that happens under the sun, that the same fate comes to everyone. Moreover, the hearts of humans are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.(B) 4 But whoever is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5 The living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no more reward, and even the memory of them is lost.(C) 6 Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished; never again will they have any share in all that happens under the sun.(D)
7 Go, eat your bread with enjoyment and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has long ago approved what you do.(E) 8 Let your garments always be white; do not let oil be lacking on your head.(F) 9 Enjoy life with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life that are given you under the sun,[c] because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun.(G) 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.(H)
11 Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to the skillful, but time and chance happen to them all.(I) 12 For no one can anticipate one’s time. Like fish taken in a cruel net or like birds caught in a snare, so mortals are snared at a time of calamity, when it suddenly falls upon them.(J)
Wisdom Superior to Folly
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 people in it. A great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. 15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man.(K) 16 So I said, “Wisdom is better than might; yet the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heeded.”(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.