Ecclesiastes 9

1-3 Well, I took all this in and thought it through, inside and out. Here's what I understood: The good, the wise, and all that they do are in God's hands—but, day by day, whether it's love or hate they're dealing with, they don't know.
Anything's possible. It's one fate for everybody—righteous and wicked, good people, bad people, the nice and the nasty, worshipers and non-worshipers, committed and uncommitted. I find this outrageous—the worst thing about living on this earth—that everyone's lumped together in one fate. Is it any wonder that so many people are obsessed with evil? Is it any wonder that people go crazy right and left? Life leads to death. That's it.

Seize Life!

4-6 Still, anyone selected out for life has hope, for, as they say, "A living dog is better than a dead lion." The living at least know something, even if it's only that they're going to die. But the dead know nothing and get nothing. They're a minus that no one remembers. Their loves, their hates, yes, even their dreams, are long gone. There's not a trace of them left in the affairs of this earth.
7-10 Seize life! Eat bread with gusto, Drink wine with a robust heart. Oh yes—God takes pleasure in your pleasure! Dress festively every morning. Don't skimp on colors and scarves. Relish life with the spouse you love Each and every day of your precarious life. Each day is God's gift. It's all you get in exchange For the hard work of staying alive. Make the most of each one! Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily! This is your last and only chance at it, For there's neither work to do nor thoughts to think In the company of the dead, where you're most certainly headed.

11  I took another walk around the neighborhood and realized that on this earth as it is—
The race is not always to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor satisfaction to the wise, Nor riches to the smart, Nor grace to the learned. Sooner or later bad luck hits us all.
12 No one can predict misfortune. Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds in a trap, So men and women are caught By accidents evil and sudden.

Wisdom Is Better than Muscle

13-15 One day as I was observing how wisdom fares on this earth, I saw something that made me sit up and take notice. There was a small town with only a few people in it. A strong king came and mounted an attack, building trenches and attack posts around it. There was a poor but wise man in that town whose wisdom saved the town, but he was promptly forgotten. (He was only a poor man, after all.)

16  All the same, I still say that wisdom is better than muscle, even though the wise poor man was treated with contempt and soon forgotten.
17 The quiet words of the wise are more effective Than the ranting of a king of fools.
18 Wisdom is better than warheads, But one hothead can ruin the good earth.

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.