Ecclesiastes 9

Revised Geneva Translation

9 I have surely given my heart to all this, and to declare all this, that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the Hand of God. And no man knows either love or hatred of all that is before him.

² All things are the same for everyone. And the same conditions are for the righteous and for the wicked, for the good and pure and for the polluted, for him who sacrifices and for him who does not sacrifice. As it is for the good, so it is for the sinner, for he who swears as for he who fears an oath.

³ This is evil among all that is done under the Sun, that there is one condition for all. Also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live. And after that, they go to the dead.

⁴ Surely, whoever is joined to all the living has hope. For it is better to be a living dog than a dead lion.

⁵ For the living know that they shall die, but the dead know nothing at all. Nor do they have a reward anymore. For their remembrance is forgotten.

⁶ Also, their love and their hatred and their envy have now perished. And they have no more part in all that is done under the Sun, forever.

⁷ Go. Eat your bread with joy and drink your wine with a cheerful heart! For God now accepts your works.

⁸ At all times, let your garments be white. And do not let oil be lacking upon your head.

⁹ Rejoice with the wife whom you have loved all the days of the life of your vanity, whom God has given you under the Sun, all the days of your vanity. For this is your portion in life, and in your travail in which you labor under the Sun.

¹⁰ All that your hand shall find to do, do it with all your power. For there is neither work nor invention nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave where you go.

¹¹ I returned and I saw under the Sun that the race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong or bread to the wise or riches to men of understanding or favor to men of knowledge. But time and chance come to them all.

¹² For man does not know his time. But as the fish which are taken in an evil net, and as the birds are caught in the snare, so are the children of men snared in the evil time when it falls upon them suddenly.

¹³ I have also seen this wisdom under the Sun. And it is great to me.

¹⁴ There was a little city, with few men in it. And a great king came against it and surrounded it and built siege ramps against it.

¹⁵ And there was found in the city a poor and wise man. And he delivered the city by his wisdom. But no one remembered this poor man.

¹⁶ Then I said, “Better is wisdom than strength.” Yet the wisdom of the poor is despised. And his words are not heard.

¹⁷ The words of the wise are more heard in quietness than the cry of him who rules among fools.

¹⁸ Wisdom is better than weapons of war. And one who sins destroys much good.