Beginning
People Are in the Hand of God
9 For I have taken all this to my heart, even to [a]examine [b]it all, that righteous people, wise people, and their deeds are (A)in the hand of God. (B)People do not know whether it will be (C)love or hatred; anything [c]awaits them.
2 (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 the unclean; for the person who offers a sacrifice and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the good person is, so is the sinner; the one who swears an oath is just as the one who [d]is afraid to swear an oath. 3 This is an evil in everything that is done under the sun, that there is (F)one fate for everyone. Furthermore, (G)the hearts of the sons of mankind are full of evil, and (H)insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterward they go to the dead. 4 For whoever is joined to all the living, there is hope; for better a live dog, than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they will die; but the dead (I)do not know anything, nor do they have a reward any longer, for their (J)memory is forgotten. 6 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.
7 Go then, (L)eat your bread in happiness, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works. 8 See that your (M)clothes are white all the time, and that there is no lack of (N)oil on your head. 9 [e]Enjoy life with the wife whom you love all the days of your (O)futile life which He has given you under the sun, [f]all the days of your futility; for this is your (P)reward in life and in your work 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, planning, 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 the skillful; for time and (W)chance overtake them all. 12 For indeed, a person does not (X)know his time: like fish that are caught in a treacherous net and (Y)birds caught in a snare, so the sons of mankind are (Z)ensnared at an evil time when it (AA)suddenly falls on them.
13 This too I saw as wisdom under the sun, and [g]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 [h]saved 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 [i]ignored. 17 The (AG)words of the wise heard in calm 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.
A Little Foolishness
10 Dead flies turn a (AJ)perfumer’s oil rancid, so a little foolishness is more [j]potent than wisdom and honor. 2 A wise person’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish (AK)person’s heart directs him toward the left. 3 Even when the fool walks along the road, his [k]sense is lacking, and he [l](AL)demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool. 4 If the ruler’s [m]temper rises against you, (AM)do not abandon your place, because (AN)composure puts great offenses to rest.
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like a mistake that proceeds from the ruler: 6 (AO)foolishness is set in many exalted places while the rich sit in humble places. 7 I have seen (AP)slaves riding (AQ)on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land.
8 (AR)One who digs a pit may fall into it, and a (AS)serpent may bite one who breaks through a wall. 9 One who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and one who splits logs may be endangered by them. 10 If the [n]axe is dull and he does not sharpen its [o]edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of bringing success. 11 If the serpent bites [p](AT)before being charmed, there is no benefit for the charmer. 12 (AU)Words from the mouth of a wise person are gracious, while the lips of a (AV)fool consume him; 13 the beginning of [q]his talking is foolishness, and the end of [r]it is evil (AW)insanity. 14 Yet the (AX)fool multiplies words. No person knows what will happen, and who can tell him (AY)what will come after him? 15 The labor of [s]a fool makes him so weary that he does not even know how to go to a city. 16 Woe to you, land whose (AZ)king is a boy, and whose princes [t]feast in the morning. 17 Blessed are you, land whose king is of nobility, and whose princes eat at the appropriate time—for strength and not for (BA)drunkenness. 18 Through (BB)extreme laziness the rafters sag, and through idleness the house leaks. 19 People prepare a meal for enjoyment, (BC)wine makes life joyful, and (BD)money [u]is the answer to everything. 20 Furthermore, (BE)in your bedroom do not (BF)curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich person; for a bird of the sky will bring the sound, and the winged one will make your word known.
Cast Your Bread on the Waters
11 (BG)Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you (BH)will find it [v]after many days. 2 (BI)Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what (BJ)misfortune may occur on the earth. 3 If the clouds are full, they pour out rain on the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it [w]lies. 4 One who watches the wind will not sow and one who looks at the clouds will not harvest. 5 Just as you do not (BK)know the path of the [x]wind, and (BL)how bones are formed in the womb of the [y]pregnant woman, so you do not (BM)know the activity of God who makes everything.
6 Sow your seed (BN)in the morning and do not [z]be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether [aa]one or the other will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.
7 The light is pleasant, and it is good for the eyes to (BO)see the sun. 8 Indeed, if a person lives many years, let him (BP)rejoice in them all; but let him remember the (BQ)days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything that is to come will be futility.
9 Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the [ab]impulses of your heart and the [ac](BR)desires of your eyes. Yet know that (BS)God will bring you to judgment for all these things. 10 So remove [ad]sorrow from your heart and keep [ae](BT)pain away from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are [af]fleeting.
Remember God in Your Youth
12 (BU)Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the (BV)evil days come and the years approach when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; 2 before the (BW)sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain; 3 on the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and strong men are (BX)bent over, the grinders stop working because they are few, and (BY)those who look through [ag]windows grow [ah]dim; 4 and the doors on the street are shut as the (BZ)sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the (CA)daughters of song will [ai]sing softly. 5 Furthermore, people are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and the caper berry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal (CB)home while the (CC)mourners move around in the street. 6 Remember your Creator before the silver cord is [aj]broken and the (CD)golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the spring is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; 7 then the (CE)dust will return to the earth as it was, and the [ak](CF)spirit will return to (CG)God who gave it. 8 “(CH)Futility of futilities,” says the Preacher, “all is futility!”
Purpose of the Preacher
9 In addition to being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out, and arranged (CI)many proverbs. 10 The Preacher sought to find (CJ)delightful words and to write (CK)words of truth correctly.
11 The (CL)words of the wise are like [al](CM)goads, and masters of these collections are like driven (CN)nails; they are given by one Shepherd. 12 But beyond this, my son, be warned: the [am]writing of (CO)many books is endless, and excessive (CP)study is [an]wearying to the body.
13 The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is: (CQ)fear God and (CR)keep His commandments, because this applies to (CS)every person. 14 For (CT)God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.