Ecclesiastes 8

1Who is like the wise man? and to whom is the sense of anything clear? A man's wisdom makes his face shining, and his hard face will be changed.

1Who is as the wise? and who knoweth the explanation of things? A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face is changed.

1Who <FI>is<Fi> as the wise? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? The wisdom of man causeth his face to shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.

2I say to you, Keep the king's law, from respect for the oath of God.

2I [say], Keep the king's commandment, and [that] on account of the oath ofGod.

2I pray thee, the commandment of a king keep, even for the sake of the oath of God.

3Be not quick to go from before him. Be not fixed in an evil design, because he does whatever is pleasing to him.

3Be not hasty to go out of his sight; persist not in an evil thing: for he doeth whatever pleaseth him,

3Be not troubled at his presence, thou mayest go, stand not in an evil thing, for all that he pleaseth he doth.

4The word of a king has authority; and who may say to him, What is this you are doing?

4because the word of a king is power; and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

4Where the word of a king <FI>is<Fi> power <FI>is<Fi> , and who saith to him, `What dost thou?'

5Whoever keeps the law will come to no evil: and a wise man's heart has knowledge of time and of decision.

5Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart knoweth time and manner.

5Whoso is keeping a command knoweth no evil thing, and time and judgment the heart of the wise knoweth.

6For every purpose there is a time and a decision, because the sorrow of man is great in him.

6For to every purpose there is time and manner. For the misery of man is great upon him;

6For to every delight there is a time and a judgment, for the misfortune of man is great upon him.

7No one is certain what is to be, and who is able to say to him when it will be?

7for he knoweth not that which shall be; for who can tell him how it shall be?

7For he knoweth not that which shall be, for when it shall be who declareth to him?

8No man has authority over the wind, to keep the wind; or is ruler over the day of his death. In war no man's time is free, and evil will not keep the sinner safe.

8There is no man who hath control over the spirit to retain the spirit; and no one hath control over the day of death; and there is no discharge in that war, neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

8There is no man ruling over the spirit to restrain the spirit, and there is no authority over the day of death, and there is no discharge in battle, and wickedness delivereth not its possessors.

9All this have I seen, and have given my heart to all the work which is done under the sun: there is a time when man has power over man for his destruction.

9All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time when man ruleth man to his hurt.

9All this I have seen so as to give my heart to every work that hath been done under the sun; a time that man hath ruled over man to his own evil.

10And then I saw evil men put to rest, taken even from the holy place; and they went about and were praised in the town because of what they had done. This again is to no purpose.

10And I have also seen the wicked buried and going away; and such as had acted rightly went from [the] holy place, and were forgotten in the city. This also is vanity.

10And so I have seen the wicked buried, and they went in, even from the Holy Place they go, and they are forgotten in the city whether they had so done. This also <FI>is<Fi> vanity.

11Because punishment for an evil work comes not quickly, the minds of the sons of men are fully given to doing evil.

11Because 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.

11Because sentence hath not been done <FI>on<Fi> an evil work speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of man is full within them to do evil.

12Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and his life is long, I am certain that it will be well for those who go in fear of God and are in fear before him.

12Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and prolong his [days], yet I know that it shall be well with them that fearGod, because they fear before him;

12Though a sinner is doing evil a hundred <FI>times<Fi> , and prolonging <FI>himself<Fi> for it, surely also I know that there is good to those fearing God, who fear before Him.

13But it will not be well for the evil-doer; he will not make his days long like a shade, because he has no fear before God.

13but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong [his] days as a shadow, because he feareth not beforeGod.

13And good is not to the wicked, and he doth not prolong days as a shadow, because he is not fearing before God.

14There is a thing which is to no purpose done on the earth: that there are good men to whom is given the same punishment as those who are evil, and there are evil men who get the reward of the good. I say that this again is to no purpose.

14There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there are righteous [men] unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; and there are wicked [men] to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

14There is a vanity that hath been done upon the earth, that there are righteous ones unto whom it is coming according to the work of the wicked, and there are wicked ones unto whom it is coming according to the work of the righteous. I have said that this also <FI>is<Fi> vanity.

15So I gave praise to joy, because there is nothing better for a man to do under the sun than to take meat and drink and be happy; for that will be with him in his work all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.

15And I commended mirth, because there is nothing better for man under the sun than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry; for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, whichGod hath given him under the sun.

15And I have praised mirth because there is no good to man under the sun except to eat and to drink, and to rejoice, and it remaineth with him of his labour the days of his life that God hath given to him under the sun.

16When I gave my mind to the knowledge of wisdom and to seeing the business which is done on the earth (and there are those whose eyes see not sleep by day or by night),

16When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes),

16When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that hath been done on the earth, (for there is also a spectator in whose eyes sleep is not by day and by night),

17Then I saw all the work of God, and that man may not get knowledge of the work which is done under the sun; because, if a man gives hard work to the search he will not get knowledge, and even if the wise man seems to be coming to the end of his search, still he will be without knowledge.

17then I saw that all [is] the work ofGod, [and] that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because however man may labour to seek [it] out, yet doth he not find [it]; and even, if a wise [man] think to know [it], he shall not be able to find [it] out.

17then I considered all the work of God, that man is not able to find out the work that hath been done under the sun, because though man labour to seek, yet he doth not find; and even though the wise man speak of knowing he is not able to find.