Men Are in the Hand of God

For I have taken all this to my heart and explain [a]it that righteous men, wise men, and their deeds are (A)in the hand of God. (B)Man does not know whether it will be (C)love or hatred; anything [b]awaits him.

(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 for the unclean; for the man who offers a sacrifice and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the good man is, so is the sinner; as the swearer is, so is the one who [c]is afraid to swear. This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is (F)one fate for all men. Furthermore, (G)the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and (H)insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they go to the dead. For whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know they will die; but the dead (I)do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their (J)memory is forgotten. 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.

Go then, (L)eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works. Let your (M)clothes be white all the time, and let not (N)oil be lacking on your head. Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your [d](O)fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun[e]; for this is your (P)reward in life and in your toil in 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 or planning or 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 men of ability; for time and (W)chance overtake them all. 12 Moreover, man does not (X)know his time: like fish caught in a treacherous net and (Y)birds trapped in a snare, so the sons of men are (Z)ensnared at an evil time when it (AA)suddenly falls on them.

13 Also this I came to see as wisdom under the sun, and [f]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 [g]delivered 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 not heeded. 17 The (AG)words of the wise heard in quietness 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

  1. Ecclesiastes 9:1 Lit all this
  2. Ecclesiastes 9:1 Lit is before them
  3. Ecclesiastes 9:2 Lit fears an oath
  4. Ecclesiastes 9:9 Lit life of vanity
  5. Ecclesiastes 9:9 Heb adds all the days of your vanity
  6. Ecclesiastes 9:13 Lit great it was to me
  7. Ecclesiastes 9:15 Or might have delivered

Enjoy Life Despite Death

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. 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 it is for the sinner; as for the one who takes an oath, so for the one who fears an oath. 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. But there is hope for whoever is joined[b] with all the living, since a live dog is better than a dead lion. 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) 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.

Go, eat your bread with pleasure, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already accepted your works.(F) Let your clothes be white all the time, and never let oil be lacking on your head.(G) 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 man certainly does not know 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)

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 9:2 LXX, Aq, Syr, Vg; MT omits and the bad
  2. Ecclesiastes 9:4 Alt Hb tradition reads chosen
  3. Ecclesiastes 9:9 Or futile

Ginpamalandungan ko gid ato tanan nga mga butang kag nareyalisar ko nga ara sa pagbuot sang Dios ang ginahimo sang matarong kag maalamon nga tawo. Pero wala nakahibalo ang ini nga tawo kon gugma ukon kaugot ang nagahulat sa iya. Pareho lang ang dangatan sang tanan nga klase sang tawo—ang matarong kag ang malaot, ang maayo kag ang malain,[a] ang matinlo kag ang mahigko,[b] kag ang nagahalad kag ang wala nagahalad. Pareho lang ang maayo nga tawo kag ang makasasala, kag pareho lang ang nagapanumpa kag ang wala nagapanumpa. Amo ini ang indi maayo sa tanan nga nagakalatabo sa kalibutan: pareho lang ang dangatan sang tanan. Indi lang ina, kundi puro lang kalautan kag kabuangan ang ginahunahuna sang tawo samtang nagakabuhi siya; kag sa ulihi mapatay man siya. Subong nga ang buhi nga ido mas maayo sang sa patay nga leon, ang buhi nga tawo mas maayo sang sa patay nga tawo. Kay ang buhi may paglaom pa, kag nahibaluan niya nga mapatay siya. Pero ang patay wala sing may nahibaluan kag wala na siya sing balos pa nga batunon, kag nalimtan na siya. Ang iya gugma, kaugot kag kaimon nadula na. Wala na siya sing labot hasta san-o sa tanan nga nagakalatabo diri sa kalibutan.

Sige, magkaon ka kag mag-inom sang bino nga may kalipay, kay ginbuot na sang Dios sang una pa nga himuon mo ini. Magmasinadyahon kag magmalipayon ka permi.[c] Magpangalipay ka upod sa imo hinigugma nga asawa sa bug-os mo nga kabuhi nga wala sing pulos, nga ginhatag sang Dios sa imo diri sa kalibutan. Kay para ina sa imo, sa imo pagpangabudlay diri sa kalibutan. 10 Himua ang bisan ano nga imo ginahimo sa imo masarangan, kay didto sa lugar sang mga patay, nga sa diin ikaw nagapakadto, wala na sing trabaho. Wala na man sing pagplano didto, kag wala man sing kaalam ukon ihibalo.

11 May nakita pa gid ako diri sa kalibutan: Indi tanan nga madasig magdalagan nagadaog sa palumba, kag indi tanan nga makusog nagadaog sa inaway. Indi tanan nga maalamon makakita sang palangabuhian, indi tanan nga maalam nagamanggaranon, kag indi tanan nga may abilidad ginapaboran. Kay nagaabot sa tagsa ka tawo ang iya kapalaran. 12 Indi lang ina, kundi wala man siya nakahibalo kon san-o magaabot ang iya tion.[d] Pareho siya sa pispis nga nasiod ukon sa isda nga napukot; nagakabiktima siya sa malain nga tion nga gulpi lang nagaabot sa iya.

Ang Kaalam mas Maayo pa sang sa Kabuangan

13 Nakita ko man diri sa kalibutan ang isa ka halimbawa sang kaalam nga nanamian ko gid: 14 May isa ka gamay nga siyudad, kag gamay lang ang mga pumuluyo sini. Ginkibon ini sang isa ka gamhanan nga hari kaupod ang iya mga soldado. Naghimo sila sang dalagko nga pangwasak sa pader, kag dayon ginsalakay nila ang siyudad. 15 Didto sa amo nga siyudad may isa ka tawo nga imol pero maalamon, nga sarang kuntani makaluwas sa sini nga siyudad paagi sa iya kaalam. Pero wala gid sing may nakadumdom sa iya.[e] 16 Nagsiling ako nga mas maayo pa ang kaalam sang sa kusog, pero ang kaalam sang imol nga tawo wala ginahatagan sang importansya kag wala sing may nagasapak sa iya ginahambal. 17 Mas maayo pa nga magpamati sa hinay nga hambal sang maalamon nga tawo sang sa magpamati sa singgit sang buang-buang nga pangulo.[f] 18 Ang kaalam mas maayo pa sang sa mga armas sa inaway. Pero ang isa ka makasasala makaguba sa madamo nga kaayuhan.

Footnotes

  1. 9:2 kag ang malain: Wala ini sa Hebreo, pero makita sa iban nga dumaan nga mga teksto.
  2. 9:2 matinlo kag ang mahigko: Ang takos kag ang indi takos nga magpartisipar sa mga seremonya sang relihiyon sang mga Israelinhon.
  3. 9:8 Magmasinadyahon… permi: sa literal, magsuksok ka sang bayo nga puti kag haplasan mo ang imo ulo sang lana.
  4. 9:12 ang iya tion sang kamatayon ukon/kag kalisod.
  5. 9:15 nga sarang… sa iya: ukon, kag ginluwas niya ang ato nga siyudad paagi sa iya kaalam. Pero pagkatapos sadto, wala na siya pagdumduma sang mga tawo.
  6. 9:17 buang-buang nga pangulo: ukon, pangulo sang mga buang-buang.