Beginning
One Destiny for All
9 For all this I laid on my heart and to ascertain all this: that the righteous and the wise, as well as their works are in the hand of God. Whether love or hatred, no one knows—everything awaits them.
2 Everyone shares the same destiny: for the righteous and the wicked; for the good, the ritually clean and the defiled; for one who sacrifices and one who does not sacrifice; as the good person so the sinner; as the one who swears like the one who fears an oath.
3 This is a misery in everything done under the sun: that the same destiny awaits everyone. Moreover, the hearts of all humans are full of evil, and folly is in their hearts during their lives—after that they die. 4 Everyone who is among the living has hope—even a living dog is better off than a dead lion.
5 For the living know that they will die,
but the dead know nothing.
They have no further reward,
even the memory of them is forgotten.
6 Their love, their hatred, and their zeal
have already perished;
never again will they have a share
in anything that is done under the sun.
7 Go! Eat your bread with gladness and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already accepted your deeds. 8 Let your clothes always be white, and do not spare oil on your head. 9 Live joyously with the wife whom you love all the days of your fleeting life that He has given you under the sun during all your fleeting days—for this is your portion in life and in your toil that you labor under the sun.
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do with your all strength, for there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, where you are going.
11 I further observed under the sun:
The race is not to the swift
nor the battle to the mighty,
nor does bread come to the wise,
or wealth to the discerning,
or favor to the skillful;
for time and chance befall them all.
12 Moreover, no man knows his time:
like fish caught in a fatal net
or birds caught in a snare,
so people are trapped in a time of calamity,
that falls upon them suddenly.
13 I also observed this as wisdom under the sun, and it greatly impressed me. 14 There was a little city with a few people in it and a mighty king came against it, surrounded it, and built great siege works against it. 15 Now a poor, wise man was found in it, and he delivered the city by his shrewdness. Yet nobody remembered that poor man! 16 So I said: “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heeded.
17 The words of the wise heard in quiet
are better than a ruler’s shout among fools.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war,
but one sinner destroys much good.
Wisdom and Folly
10 Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil stink,
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2 The heart of the wise is to his right,
and the heart of the fool is to his left.
3 Even as the fool walks along the way,
his heart lacks sense
and tells everyone what a fool he is.
4 If a ruler’s spirit rises up against you,
do not leave your post,
for composure allays great offences.
5 There is a wrong I have seen under the sun
like an error proceeding from a ruler.
6 Fools are placed in many high positions,
while the rich sit in low ones.
7 I have seen slaves on horses,
and princes walking on the ground like slaves.
8 Whoever digs a pit may fall into it,
and whoever breaks through a fence may be bitten by a snake.
9 Whoever quarries stones may be hurt by them,
and whoever splits logs may be endangered by them.
10 If the iron axe is blunt
and one doesn’t sharpen the edge,
then he must exert more force.
So wisdom has the advantage of giving success.
11 If the snake bites before it is charmed,
there is no profit for the charmer.
12 Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious,
but the lips of a fool destroy him.
13 The words from his mouth begin as folly
and end as grievous madness—
14 and the fool multiplies words.
No one knows what will happen,
and who can tell him what will happen after him?
15 The mischief of fools wearies them
for he doesn’t know how to go to town.
16 Oy to you, O land, when your king is a youth[a]
and your princes feast in the morning.
17 Happy are you, O land, when your king is a son of nobles,
and your princes eat at the proper time—
in self-control and not in drunkenness!
18 By laziness the rafters sag,
and by idle hands the house leaks.
19 A feast is made for laughter,
and wine makes life glad—
but money is the answer for everything.
20 Do not ridicule the king—even in your thoughts,
nor curse the rich in your bedroom.
For a bird of the air may carry your voice,
and a winged creature may report your words.
Wisdom of the Long View
11 Cast your bread upon the waters,
for after many days you will find it.
2 Give portions to seven, or even to eight,
for you do not know what disaster may happen upon the earth.
3 If the clouds are full,
they empty out rain upon the earth.
Whether a tree falls to south or north,
the tree lies wherever it falls.
4 Whoever keeps watching the wind will not sow
and whoever gazes at the clouds will not reap.
5 Just as you do not know how the spirit passes into the bones in the womb of a pregnant woman,
so you do not know the work of God who makes all things.
6 In the morning sow your seed,
and in the evening do not let your hand be idle,
for you do not know if this or that will succeed,
or if both will prosper together.
7 Light is sweet,
and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.
8 For if a man lives many years,
let him rejoice in them all.
But let him remember the days of darkness—
for there will be many.
Everything to come is obscure.
9 Rejoice, young man, in your childhood,
and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth.
Walk in the ways of your heart
and in the sight of your eyes,
but know that for all these things
God will bring you to judgment.
10 So banish anxiety from your heart
and cast off distress from your body,
for youth and prime of life are fleeting.
Ode for the Aging
12 So remember your Creator
in the days of your youth:
before the days of misery come,
and years draw near when you will say:
“I have no pleasure in them”—
2 before the sun and light and moon
and the stars grow dark,
and the clouds dissipate after the rain,
3 in the day the keepers of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
when grinders stop because they are few,
and those peering out windows grow dim,
4 when doors are shut in the street
and the sound of the mill fades,
when one arises at the chirp of a bird
and all their songs grow faint,
5 when they also are afraid of heights
and of dangers on the road,
when the almond tree blossoms,
the grasshopper drags itself along,
and the caper berry fails to excite—
for a man is going to his eternal home,
and mourners go about in the street—
6 before the silver cord is snapped,
or the golden bowl is crushed,
or the jug at the cistern is shattered,
or the wheel at the well is broken.
7 Then the dust returns to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 “Evanescent vapors,” says Kohelet.
All is futility.
Conclusion: Fear God
9 Furthermore, Kohelet was not only wise but he also taught the people knowledge. He pondered, sought out, and set in order many proverbs. 10 Kohelet searched to find delightful words and truthful, accurate sayings. 11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collective sayings are like firmly affixed nails. They have been given by one Shepherd. 12 Be warned my son of anything in addition to them: There is no end to the making of many books, and excessive study wearies the flesh.
13 A final word, when all has been heard:
Fear God and keep His mitzvot!
For this applies to all mankind.
14 God will bring every deed into judgment,
including everything that is hidden,
whether it is good or evil.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.