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For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be? There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it. All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.

10 And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity. 11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: 13 but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

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for he knoweth not that which shall be; [a]for who can tell him how it shall be? There is no man that hath power over the [b]spirit to retain the [c]spirit; neither hath he power over the day of death; and there is no discharge [d]in war: neither shall wickedness deliver him that is given to it. All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: [e]there is a time wherein one man hath power over another [f]to his hurt. 10 So I saw the wicked buried, [g]and they came to the grave; and they that had done right went away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city: this also is vanity. 11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is [h]fully set in them to do evil. 12 Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and prolong his days, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that fear before him: 13 but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 8:7 Or, for even when it cometh to pass, who shall declare it unto him?
  2. Ecclesiastes 8:8 Or, wind
  3. Ecclesiastes 8:8 Or, wind
  4. Ecclesiastes 8:8 Or, in battle
  5. Ecclesiastes 8:9 Or, what time one man had etc.
  6. Ecclesiastes 8:9 Or, to his own hurt
  7. Ecclesiastes 8:10 Or, who had come and gone away from the holy place; and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done. Or, and men came and went etc.
  8. Ecclesiastes 8:11 Or, emboldened