Ecclesiastes 9:7-10:19

English Standard Version

Enjoy Life with the One You Love

⁷Go, ^(A)eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.

⁸^(B)Let your garments be always white. Let not ^(C)oil be lacking on your head.

⁹Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your ^(D)vain^[a] life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your ^(E)portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. ¹⁰Whatever your hand finds to do, ^(F)do it with your might,^[b] ^(G)for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

Wisdom Better Than Folly

¹¹^(H)Again I saw that under the sun ^(I)the race is not to the swift, nor ^(J)the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and ^(K)chance ^(L)happen to them all. ¹²For man ^(M)does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and ^(N)like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are ^(O)snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.

¹³I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. ¹⁴There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. ¹⁵But there was found in it ^(P)a poor, wise man, and he by his ^(Q)wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. ¹⁶But I say that ^(R)wisdom is better than might, though ^(S)the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.

¹⁷The words of the wise heard in ^(T)quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. ¹⁸^(U)Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but ^(V)one sinner destroys much good.

10 Dead flies make ^(W)the perfumer's ointment give off a stench;
    so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
²^(X)A wise man's heart inclines him to the right,
    but a fool's heart to the left.
³Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense,
    and he ^(Y)says to everyone that he is a fool.
⁴If the anger of the ruler rises against you, ^(Z)do not leave your place,
    ^(AA)for calmness^[c] will lay great offenses to rest.

⁵There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were ^(AB)an error proceeding from the ruler: ⁶^(AC)folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place. ⁷^(AD)I have seen slaves ^(AE)on horses, and princes walking on the ground like slaves.

⁸He who ^(AF)digs a pit will fall into it,
    and ^(AG)a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall.
⁹^(AH)He who quarries stones is hurt by them,
    and he who ^(AI)splits logs is endangered by them.
¹⁰If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge,
    he must use more strength,
    but wisdom helps one to succeed.^[d]
¹¹If the serpent bites before it is ^(AJ)charmed,
    there is no advantage to the charmer.

¹²The words of a wise man's mouth ^(AK)win him favor,^[e]
    but ^(AL)the lips of a fool consume him.
¹³The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness,
    and the end of his talk is evil madness.
¹⁴^(AM)A fool multiplies words,
    though no man knows what is to be,
    and who can tell him ^(AN)what will be after him?
¹⁵The toil of a fool wearies him,
    for he does not know ^(AO)the way to the city.

¹⁶^(AP)Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child,
    and your princes feast in the morning!
¹⁷Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility,
    and your princes feast at the proper time,
    for strength, and not for ^(AQ)drunkenness!
¹⁸Through sloth the roof sinks in,
    and through indolence the house leaks.
¹⁹Bread is made for laughter,
    and ^(AR)wine gladdens life,
    and ^(AS)money answers everything.

Footnotes

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 10:4 Hebrew healing
Ecclesiastes 10:10 Or wisdom is an advantage for success
Ecclesiastes 10:12 Or are gracious