Ecclesiastes 8
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
Wisdom, Authorities, and Inequities
8 Who is like the wise person, and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A person’s wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed.(A)
2 Keep[a] the king’s command because of your oath made before God.(B) 3 Do not be in a hurry; leave his presence,(C) 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? ’(D) 5 The one who keeps a command will not experience anything harmful,(E) and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure. 6 For every activity there is a right time and procedure,(F) even though a person’s troubles are heavy on him. 7 Yet no one knows what will happen(G) because who can tell him what will happen? 8 No one has authority over the wind[b] to restrain it,(H) and there is no authority over the day of death;(I) no one is discharged during battle, and wickedness will not allow those who practise it to escape. 9 All this I have seen, applying my mind to all the work that is done under the sun, at a time when one person has authority over another to his harm.
10 In such circumstances, I saw the wicked buried. They came and went from the holy place,(J) and they were praised[c] in the city where they did those things. This too is futile. 11 Because the sentence against an evil act is not carried out quickly,(K) the heart of people is filled with the desire to commit evil. 12 Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life,(L) I also know that it will go well with God-fearing people,(M) for they are reverent before him. 13 However, it will not go well with the wicked,(N) and they will not lengthen their days like a shadow,(O) for they are not reverent before God.
14 There is a futility that is done on the earth: there are righteous people who get what the actions of the wicked deserve,(P) and there are wicked people who get what the actions of the righteous deserve.(Q) I say that this too is futile. 15 So I commended enjoyment because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat, drink, and enjoy himself,(R) for this will accompany him in his labour during the days of his life that God gives him under the sun.
16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom(S) and to observe the activity that is done on the earth (even though one’s eyes do not close in sleep day or night), 17 I observed all the work of God and concluded that a person is unable to discover the work that is done under the sun. Even though a person labours hard to explore it, he cannot find it;(T) even if a wise person claims to know it, he is unable to discover it.
Ecclesiastes 8
Legacy Standard Bible
Keep the Command of the King
8 Who is like the wise man and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom (A)illumines his face and causes his (B)stern face to [a]beam.
2 I say, “Keep the [b]command of the king because of the (C)sworn oath [c]before God. 3 Do not be in a hurry (D)to go from his presence. Do not stand in an evil matter, for he will do whatever he pleases.” 4 Since the word of the king is powerful, (E)who will say to him, “What are you doing?”
5 He who (F)keeps a royal command (G)experiences no evil thing, for a wise heart knows the proper time and custom. 6 For (H)there is a proper time and custom for every [d]matter, though a man’s trouble is multiplied upon him. 7 If no one (I)knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen? 8 (J)There is no man who has power to restrain the wind with the wind, and there is none who has power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in the time of war, and (K)wickedness will not provide escape to its masters. 9 All this I have seen and given my heart to every work that has been done under the sun wherein a man has (L)power over another man to his calamity.
10 So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out from the holy place, and they are (M)soon forgotten in the city where they did thus. This too is vanity. 11 Because the (N)sentence against an evil work is not executed quickly, therefore (O)the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil. 12 Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may (P)prolong his life, still I know that it will be (Q)well for those who fear God, who fear [e]Him openly. 13 But it will (R)not be well for the wicked man, and he will not prolong his days like a (S)shadow, because he does not fear [f]God openly.
14 There is vanity which is done on the earth, that is, there are (T)righteous men to whom it [g]happens according to the works of the wicked. On the other hand, there are (U)wicked men to whom it [h]happens according to the works of the righteous. I say that this too is vanity. 15 So I laud gladness, for there is nothing good for (V)a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to [i]be merry, and this will join with him in his labor throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.
16 When I (W)gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the endeavor which has been done on the earth (even though one (X)never sees sleep with his eyes day or night), 17 and I saw every work of God, I concluded that (Y)man cannot find out the work which has been done under the sun. Even though man should seek laboriously, he will not find it out; and (Z)though the wise man should say, “I know,” he cannot find it out.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 8:1 Or change
- Ecclesiastes 8:2 Lit mouth
- Ecclesiastes 8:2 Lit of
- Ecclesiastes 8:6 Lit delight
- Ecclesiastes 8:12 Lit before Him
- Ecclesiastes 8:13 Lit before Him
- Ecclesiastes 8:14 Lit strikes
- Ecclesiastes 8:14 Lit strikes
- Ecclesiastes 8:15 Or be glad, cf. 8:15a; 3:12, 22; 5:19; Luke 12:19
Ecclesiastes 8
New King James Version
Obey Authorities for God’s Sake
8 Who is like a wise man?
And who knows the interpretation of a thing?
(A)A man’s wisdom makes his face shine,
And (B)the [a]sternness of his face is changed.
Obey Authorities for God’s Sake
2 I say, “Keep the king’s commandment (C)for the sake of your oath to God. 3 (D)Do not be hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand for an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him.”
4 Where the word of a king is, there is power;
And (E)who may say to him, “What are you doing?”
5 He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful;
And a wise man’s heart [b]discerns both time and judgment,
6 Because (F)for every matter there is a time and judgment,
Though the misery of man [c]increases greatly.
7 (G)For he does not know what will happen;
So who can tell him when it will occur?
8 (H)No one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit,
And no one has power in the day of death.
There is (I)no release from that war,
And wickedness will not deliver those who are given to it.
9 All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun: There is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt.
Death Comes to All
10 Then I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of holiness, and they were (J)forgotten[d] in the city where they had so done. This also is vanity. 11 (K)Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 12 (L)Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that (M)it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him. 13 But it will not be well with the wicked; nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God.
14 There is a vanity which occurs on earth, that there are just men to whom it (N)happens according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the (O)righteous. I said that this also is vanity.
15 (P)So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.
16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on earth, even though one sees no sleep day or night, 17 then I saw all the work of God, that (Q)a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. For though a man labors to discover it, yet he will not find it; moreover, though a wise man attempts to know it, he will not be able to find it.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 8:1 Lit. strength
- Ecclesiastes 8:5 Lit. knows
- Ecclesiastes 8:6 is great upon him
- Ecclesiastes 8:10 Some Heb. mss., LXX, Vg. praised
Ecclesiastes 8
King James Version
8 Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.
2 I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.
3 Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
4 Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
5 Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.
6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.
7 For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?
8 There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.
9 All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.
10 And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.
11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:
13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.
14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.
15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.
16 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:)
17 Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea farther; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
