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Ecclesiastes 8:1-3
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Ecclesiastes 8:1-3
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
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.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ecclesiastes 8:2 Heb inserts an I
Ecclesiastes 8:1-3
English Standard Version
Ecclesiastes 8:1-3
English Standard Version
Keep the King's Command
8 Who is like the wise?
And who knows the interpretation of a thing?
(A)A man's wisdom makes his face shine,
and (B)the hardness of his face is changed.
2 I say:[a] Keep the king's command, because of (C)God's oath to him.[b] 3 Be not hasty to (D)go from his presence. Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ecclesiastes 8:2 Hebrew lacks say
- Ecclesiastes 8:2 Or because of your oath to God
Ecclesiastes 8:1-3
New International Version
Ecclesiastes 8:1-3
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.
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.