Ecclesiastes 9
Death Comes to All
1 But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him.2 It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil,t to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath.3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.4 But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.6 Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.
Enjoy Life with the One You Love
7 Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.
8 Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.
9 Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun.10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might,t for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.
Wisdom Better than Folly
11 Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.12 For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.
13 I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me.14 There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it.15 But there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man.16 But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.
17 The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.
Ecclesiastes 9
Everyone Will Die
1 So I reflected on all this,t attempting to cleart it all up.
I concluded thatt the righteous and the wise, as well as their works, are in the hand of God;
whether a person will be loved or hatedt –
no one knows what lies ahead.t
2 Everyone shares the same fatet –
the righteous and the wicked,
the good and the bad,s
the ceremonially clean and unclean,
those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.
What happens to the good person, also happens to the sinner;t
what happens to those who make vows, also happens to those who are afraid to make vows.
3 This is the unfortunate factt about everything that happens on earth:t
the same fate awaitst everyone.
In addition to this, the hearts of all peoplet are full of evil,
and there is folly in their hearts during their lives – then they die.t
Better to Be Poor but Alive than Rich but Dead
4 But whoever is amongt the livingt has hope;
a live dog is better than a dead lion.
5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead do not know anything;
they have no further reward – and even the memory of them disappears.t
6 What they loved,t as well as what they hatedt and envied,t perished long ago,
and they no longer have a part in anything that happens on earth.t
Life is Brief, so Cherish its Joys
7 Go, eat your foodt with joy,
and drink your wine with a happy heart,
because God has already approved your works.
8 Let your clothes always be white,
and do not spare precious ointment on your head.
9 Enjoyt life with your beloved wifet during all the days of your fleetingt life
that Godt has given you on eartht during all your fleeting days;s
for that is your reward in life and in your burdensome workt on earth.t
10 Whatever you find to do with your hands,t
do it with all your might,
because there is neither work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave,t
the place where you will eventually go.t
Wisdom Cannot Protect against Seemingly Chance Events
11 Again,t I observed this on the earth:t
the race is not alwayst won by the swiftest,
the battle is not always won by the strongest;
prosperityt does not always belong to those who are the wisest,
wealth does not always belong to those who are the most discerning,
nor does successt always come to those with the most knowledge –
for time and chance may overcomet them all.
12 Surely, no onet knows his appointed time!t
Like fish that are caught in a deadlyt net, and like birds that are caught in a snare –
just like them, all peoplet are ensnaredt at an unfortunatet time that falls upon them suddenly.
Most People Are Not Receptive to Wise Counsel
13 This is what I also observed about wisdom on earth,t
and it is a great burdent to me:
14 There was oncet a small city with a few men in it,
and a mighty king attacked it, besiegingt it and building strongt siege works against it.
15 However, a poor but wise man lived in the city,t
and he could have deliveredt the city by his wisdom,
but no one listenedt to that poor man.
16 So I concluded that wisdom is better than might,t
but a poor man’s wisdom is despised; no one ever listenst to his advice.t
Wisdom versus Fools, Sin, and Folly
17 The words of the wise are heard in quiet,
more than the shouting of a ruler is heardt among fools.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war,
but one sinner can destroy much that is good.
