Ecclesiastes 8:2-6
New International Version
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.
Ecclesiastes 8:2-6
Holman Christian Standard Bible
2 Keep[a] the king’s command because of your oath made before God.(A) 3 Do not be in a hurry; leave his presence,(B) and don’t persist in a bad cause, since he will do whatever he wants. 4 For the king’s word is authoritative, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?”(C) 5 The one who keeps a command will not experience anything harmful,(D) and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure. 6 For every activity there is a right time and procedure,(E) even though man’s troubles are heavy on him.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ecclesiastes 8:2 Some Hb mss, LXX, Vg, Tg, Syr; other Hb mss read I, keep
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