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Eclesiastés 8
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Eclesiastés 8
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
8 ¿Quién es como el sabio?
¿Y quién otro sabe la explicación de un asunto?
La sabiduría del hombre ilumina su rostro
Y hace que la dureza de su rostro cambie(A).
2 Yo digo: «Guarda el mandato[a] del rey por causa del juramento de Dios(B). 3 No te apresures a irte de su presencia(C). No te unas a una causa impía, porque él hará todo lo que le plazca». 4 Puesto que la palabra del rey es soberana, ¿quién le dirá: «¿Qué haces(D)?»?
5 ¶El que guarda el mandato(E) real no experimenta ningún mal(F);
Porque el corazón del sabio conoce el tiempo y el modo de hacerlo.
6 Porque para cada deleite hay un tiempo y un modo(G),
Aunque la aflicción del hombre sea mucha sobre él.
7 Si nadie sabe qué sucederá(H),
¿Quién le anunciará cómo ha de suceder?
8 No hay hombre que tenga potestad para refrenar el viento con el viento,
Ni potestad sobre el día de la muerte(I).
No se da licencia en tiempo de guerra,
Ni la impiedad salvará a los que la practican[b](J).
9 Todo esto he visto, y he puesto mi corazón en toda obra que se hace bajo el sol, cuando el hombre domina a otro hombre para su mal(K).
10 También he visto a los impíos ser sepultados, los que entraban y salían del lugar santo, y que fueron pronto olvidados(L) en la ciudad en que así habían actuado. También esto es vanidad. 11 Porque la sentencia contra una mala obra no se ejecuta enseguida(M), el corazón de los hijos de los hombres está en ellos entregado enteramente a hacer el mal(N). 12 Aunque el pecador haga el mal cien veces y alargue su vida(O), con todo, yo sé que les irá bien a los que temen a Dios(P), a los que temen ante Su presencia. 13 Pero no le irá bien al impío(Q), ni alargará sus días como una sombra(R), porque no teme ante la presencia de Dios.
14 Hay una vanidad que se hace sobre la tierra: hay justos a quienes les sucede[c] conforme a las obras de los impíos(S), y hay impíos a quienes les sucede[d] conforme a las obras de los justos(T). Digo que también esto es vanidad. 15 Por tanto yo alabé el placer, porque no hay nada bueno para el hombre bajo el sol sino comer, beber y divertirse(U), y esto le acompañará en sus afanes[e] en los días de su vida que Dios le haya dado bajo el sol.
16 Cuando apliqué mi corazón a conocer la sabiduría y a ver la tarea que ha sido hecha sobre la tierra(V) (aunque uno no durmiera[f] ni de día ni de noche(W)), 17 y vi toda la obra de Dios, decidí que el hombre no puede descubrir la obra que se ha hecho(X) bajo el sol. Aunque el hombre busque con afán, no la descubrirá; y aunque el sabio diga que la conoce, no puede descubrirla(Y).
Ecclesiastes 8
Revised Standard Version
Ecclesiastes 8
Revised Standard Version
Obey the King and Enjoy Yourself
8 Who is like the wise man?
And who knows the interpretation of a thing?
A man’s wisdom makes his face shine,
and the hardness of his countenance is changed.
2 Keep[a] the king’s command, and because of your sacred oath be not dismayed; 3 go from his presence, do not delay when the matter is unpleasant, for he does whatever he pleases. 4 For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, “What are you doing?” 5 He who obeys a command will meet no harm, and the mind of a wise man will know the time and way. 6 For every matter has its time and way, although man’s trouble lies heavy upon him. 7 For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be? 8 No man has power to retain the spirit, or authority over the day of death; there is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it. 9 All this I observed while applying my mind to all that is done under the sun, while man lords it over man to his hurt.
God’s Ways Are Inscrutable
10 Then I saw the wicked buried; they used to go in and out of the holy place, and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity. 11 Because sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the sons of men is fully set to do evil. 12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him; 13 but it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.
14 There is a vanity which takes place on earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. 15 And I commend enjoyment, for man has no good thing under the sun but to eat and drink and enjoy himself, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of life which God gives him under the sun.
16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night one’s eyes see sleep; 17 then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out; even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 8:2 Heb inserts an I
Ecclesiastes 8
New International Version
Ecclesiastes 8
New International Version
8 Who is like the wise?
Who knows the explanation of things?
A person’s wisdom brightens their face
and changes its hard appearance.
Obey the King
2 Obey the king’s command, I say, because you took an oath before God. 3 Do not be in a hurry to leave the king’s presence.(A) Do not stand up for a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases. 4 Since a king’s word is supreme, who can say to him, “What are you doing?(B)”
5 Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm,
and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.
6 For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter,(C)
though a person may be weighed down by misery.
7 Since no one knows the future,
who can tell someone else what is to come?
8 As no one has power over the wind to contain it,
so[a] no one has power over the time of their death.
As no one is discharged in time of war,
so wickedness will not release those who practice it.
9 All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is a time when a man lords it over others to his own[b] hurt. 10 Then too, I saw the wicked buried(D)—those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise[c] in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless.
11 When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong. 12 Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better(E) with those who fear God,(F) who are reverent before him.(G) 13 Yet because the wicked do not fear God,(H) it will not go well with them, and their days(I) will not lengthen like a shadow.
14 There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve.(J) This too, I say, is meaningless.(K) 15 So I commend the enjoyment of life(L), because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink(M) and be glad.(N) Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.
16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom(O) and to observe the labor that is done on earth(P)—people getting no sleep day or night— 17 then I saw all that God has done.(Q) No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it.(R)
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 8:8 Or over the human spirit to retain it, / and so
- Ecclesiastes 8:9 Or to their
- Ecclesiastes 8:10 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (Aquila); most Hebrew manuscripts and are forgotten
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