Ecclesiastes 9

1 So I took all this to heart and concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their deeds, are in God’s hands. Man does not know what lies ahead, whether love or hate.

2 It is the same for all: There is a common fate for the righteous and the wicked, for the good and the bad, for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not. As it is for the good, so it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who makes a vow, so it is for the one who refuses to take a vow.

3 This is an evil in everything that is done under the sun: There is one fate for everyone. Furthermore, the hearts of men are full of evil and madness while they are alive, and afterward they join the dead.

4 There is hope, however, for anyone who is among the living; for even a live dog is better than a dead lion.

5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, because the memory of them is forgotten.

6 Their love, their hate, and their envy have already vanished, and they will never again have a share in all that is done under the sun.

7 Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already approved your works:

8 Let your garments always be white, and never spare the oil for your head.

9 Enjoy life with your beloved wife all the days of the fleeting life that God has given you under the sun—all your fleeting days. For this is your portion in life and in your labor under the sun.

10 Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

11 I saw something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; neither is the bread to the wise, nor the wealth to the intelligent, nor the favor to the skillful. For time and chance happen to all.

12 For surely no man knows his time: Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds trapped in a snare, so men are ensnared in an evil time that suddenly falls upon them.

13 I have also seen this wisdom under the sun, and it was great to me:

14 There was a small city with few men. A mighty king came against it, surrounded it, and built large siege ramps against it.

15 Now a poor wise man was found in the city, and he saved the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man.

16 And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”

17 The calm words of the wise are heeded over the shouts of a ruler among fools.

18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

1 ¶ For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, [are] in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred [by] all [that is] before them.

2 All [things come] alike to all: [there is] one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as [is] the good, so [is] the sinner; [and] he that sweareth, as [he] that feareth an oath.

3 This [is] an evil among all [things] that are done under the sun, that [there is] one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness [is] in their heart while they live, and after that [they go] to the dead.

4 ¶ For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any [thing] that is done under the sun.

7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.

9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that [is] thy portion in [this] life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.

10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do [it] with thy might; for [there is] no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

11 ¶ I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race [is] not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so [are] the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

13 ¶ This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it [seemed] great unto me:

14 [There was] a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.

16 Then said I, Wisdom [is] better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom [is] despised, and his words are not heard.

17 The words of wise [men are] heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.

18 Wisdom [is] better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

1 For I have taken all these things to heart, to search out all these things, that the righteous and the wise are, and their subjects in the hand of God. But no man knoweth neither the love nor the hate of any that he hath before him.

2 It befalleth one as well as another, the righteous as well as the wicked, the good and the clean as well as the unclean, he that sacrificeth as well as he that sacrificeth not. As it is with the good, so it is with the sinner. As it is with the perjurer, so it is with him who fears the oath.

2 For the heart of the wise is on his right hand: but the heart of the fool is on his left.

3 This is an evil thing of all that is done under the sun, that it goeth to one as it goeth to another: therefore also the heart of men is filled with evil, and folly is in their heart, while they live; and after that they die.

3 Though the fool himself be foolish in his doings, yet he thinketh every man a fool.

4 For with all living things there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

4 Wherefore, if a mighty one go against thy will, be not dismayed: for forbearance stilleth great evil.

5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither do they deserve any more; for their memory is forgotten,

6 That they be no more loved, nor hated, nor envied; neither have they any more any part in the world in anything that is done under the sun.

7 Go therefore, eat thy bread with gladness, drink thy wine with good courage: for thy work is pleasing unto God.

8 Let thy garments be always white, and let not thy head lack ointment.

9 Use life with thy wife, whom thou lovest, as long as thou hast the vain life which God hath given thee under the sun, as long as thy vain life endureth: for this is thy portion in life, and in thy work which thou doest under the sun.

10 Whatsoever thou hast power to do, do it fresh: for in hell, whither thou goest, there is neither work, nor skill, nor understanding, nor wisdom.

11 I turned, and saw how it is under the sun, that to run is not to be swift, to fight is not to be strong, to eat is not to be skillful, to be rich is not to be wise; that a man may be pleasant is not that he may do a thing well, but all depends upon time and fortune.

12 Neither knoweth man his time: but as the fishes are taken with a noisome snare, and as the birds are caught with a snare, so men are taken with the evil time, when it suddenly cometh upon them.

13 I have also seen this wisdom under the sun, which seemed great unto me,

14 And there was a small city, and few people in it: and there came a great king, and filled it, and built great fortresses about it,

15 And there was found in it a poor wise man, which was able to save that city by his wisdom: and no man remembered that poor man.

16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength. Nor was the poor man's wisdom despised, nor his words obeyed.

17 For the words of the wise are more effectual among the quiet, than the shouting of lords among fools.

18 For wisdom is better than armour: but a few knaves destroy much good. Ch. 10, v. 1. So the noxious flies spoil good ointments. Therefore at times folly is better than wisdom and honour.