Ecclesiastes 8
Revised Geneva Translation
8 Who is as the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? The wisdom of a man makes his face shine. And the strength of his face shall be changed.
2 I say, “Guard to the commandment of the king, and the word of your oath to God.
3 “Do not hurry to go forth from His sight. Do not stand in an evil thing. For He will do whatever pleases Him.”
4 Wherever the word of the king is, there is power. And who shall say to him, “What are you doing?”
5 He who keeps the commandment shall know no evil thing. And the heart of the wise shall know the time and judgment.
6 For to every purpose there is a time and judgment, because the misery of man is great upon him.
7 For he does not know that which shall be. For who can tell him when it shall be?
8 Man is not Lord over the spirit, to retain the spirit. Nor does he have power on the day of death or deliverance in the battle. Nor shall wickedness deliver its possessors.
9 All this have I seen and have given my heart to every work which is wrought under the Sun. And I saw a time that man rules over man to his own hurt.
10 And likewise I saw the wicked buried, and they returned. And those who came from the holy place were still forgotten in the city where they had done right. This also is vanity.
11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily. Therefore, the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to do evil.
12 Even if a sinner does evil a hundred times, and God prolongs his days, I still know that it shall be well with those who fear the LORD and do reverence before Him.
13 But it shall not be well to the wicked. Nor shall he prolong his days. He shall be like a shadow, because he did not fear before God.
14 There is a vanity which is done upon the Earth, so that there are righteous men to whom it comes according to the work of the wicked. And there are wicked men to whom it comes according to the work of the righteous. I also thought that this is vanity.
15 And I praised joy. For there is no goodness to man under the Sun, except to eat and to drink and to rejoice. For this is joined to his labor during his life that God has given him under the Sun.
16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to behold the business that is done on Earth — that the eyes of man takes sleep at neither day nor night —
17 then I beheld the whole work of God: that man cannot find out the work that is wrought under the Sun which man labors to seek and cannot find. Yea, and though the wise man may say he knows it, he cannot find it.
Ecclesiastes 8
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. 4 For the word of the king is supreme, and (E)who may say to him, “What are you doing?” 5 Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way.[c] 6 For there is a time and a way (F)for everything, although man's trouble[d] lies heavy on him. 7 For he (G)does not know what is to be, for (H)who can tell him how it will be? 8 No man has power to (I)retain the spirit, (J)or power over the day of death. There is no (K)discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it. 9 (L)All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt.
Those Who Fear God Will Do Well
10 Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of (M)the holy place and were (N)praised[e] in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity.[f] 11 Because (O)the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, (P)the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. 12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and (Q)prolongs his life, yet I know that (R)it will be well with (S)those who fear God, because they fear before him. 13 But it will (T)not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like (U)a shadow, because he does not fear before God.
Man Cannot Know God's Ways
14 There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people (V)to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people (W)to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. 15 And I commend joy, for man (X)has nothing better under the sun but to (Y)eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.
16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see (Z)the business that is done on earth, how neither (AA)day nor night do one's eyes see sleep, 17 then I saw all the work of God, that (AB)man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, (AC)he cannot find it out.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 8:2 Hebrew lacks say
- Ecclesiastes 8:2 Or because of your oath to God
- Ecclesiastes 8:5 Or and judgment
- Ecclesiastes 8:6 Or evil
- Ecclesiastes 8:10 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts forgotten
- Ecclesiastes 8:10 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also twice in verse 14 (see note on 1:2)
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