Ecclesiastes 9

1All this I took to heart, and my heart saw it all: that the upright and the wise and their works are in the hand of God; and men may not be certain if it will be love or hate; all is to no purpose before them.

1But all this I have laid unto my heart, so as to clear up the whole of this, that the righteous and the wise, and their works, <FI>are<Fi> in the hand of God, neither love nor hatred doth man know, the whole <FI>is<Fi> before them.

1All these things have I considered in my heart, that I might carefully understand them: there are just men and wise men, and their works are in the hand of God: and yet man knoweth not whether he be worthy of love, or hatred:

2Because to all there is one event, to the upright man and to the evil, to the clean and to the unclean, to him who makes an offering and to him who makes no offering; as is the good so is the sinner; he who takes an oath is as he who has fear of it.

2The whole <FI>is<Fi> as to the whole; one event is to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean, and to him who is sacrificing, and to him who is not sacrificing; as <FI>is<Fi> the good, so <FI> is<Fi> the sinner, he who is swearing as he who is fearing an oath.

2But all things are kept uncertain for the time to come, because all things equally happen to the just and to the wicked, to the good and to the evil, to the clean and to the unclean, to him that offereth victims, and to him that despiseth sacrifices. As the good is, so also is the sinner: as the perjured, so he also that sweareth truth.

3This is evil in all things which are done under the sun: that there is one fate for all, and the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; while they have life their hearts are foolish, and after that--to the dead.

3This <FI>is<Fi> an evil among all that hath been done under the sun, that one event <FI>is<Fi> to all, and also the heart of the sons of man is full of evil, and madness <FI>is<Fi> in their heart during their life, and after it--unto the dead.

3This is a very great evil among all things that are done under the sun, that the same things happen to all men: whereby also the hearts of the children of men are filled with evil, and with contempt while they live, and afterwards they shall be brought down to hell.

4For him who is joined to all the living there is hope; a living dog is better than a dead lion.

4But <FI>to<Fi> him who is joined unto all the living there is confidence, for to a living dog it <FI>is<Fi> better than to the dead lion.

4There is no man that liveth always, or that hopeth for this: a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5The living are conscious that death will come to them, but the dead are not conscious of anything, and they no longer have a reward, because there is no memory of them.

5For the living know that they die, and the dead know not anything, and there is no more to them a reward, for their remembrance hath been forgotten.

5For the living know that they shall die, but the dead know nothing more, neither have they a reward any more: for the memory of them is forgotten.

6Their love and their hate and their envy are now ended; and they have no longer a part for ever in anything which is done under the sun.

6Their love also, their hatred also, their envy also, hath already perished, and they have no more a portion to the age in all that hath been done under the sun.

6Their love also, and their hatred, and their envy are all perished, neither have they any part in this world, and in the work that is done under the sun.

7Come, take your bread with joy, and your wine with a glad heart. God has taken pleasure in your works.

7Go, eat with joy thy bread, and drink with a glad heart thy wine, for already hath God been pleased with thy works.

7Go then, and eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with gladness: because thy works please God.

8Let your clothing be white at all times, and let not your head be without oil.

8At all times let thy garments be white, and let not perfume be lacking on thy head.

8At all times let thy garments be white, and let not oil depart from thy head.

9Have joy with the woman of your love all the days of your foolish life which he gives you under the sun. Because that is your part in life and in your work which you do under the sun.

9See life with the wife whom thou hast loved, all the days of the life of thy vanity, that He hath given to thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity, for it <FI>is<Fi> thy portion in life, even of thy labour that thou art labouring at under the sun.

9Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest, all the days of thy unsteady life, which are given to thee under the sun, all the time of thy vanity: for this is thy portion in life, and in thy labour wherewith thou labourest under the sun.

10Whatever comes to your hand to do with all your power, do it because there is no work, or thought, or knowledge, or wisdom in the place of the dead to which you are going.

10All that thy hand findeth to do, with thy power do, for there is no work, and device, and knowledge, and wisdom in Sheol whither thou art going.

10Whatsoever thy hand is able to do, do it earnestly: for neither work, nor reason, nor wisdom, nor knowledge shall be in hell, whither thou art hastening.

11And again I saw under the sun that the reward goes not to him who is quick, or the fruits of war to the strong; and there is no bread for the wise, or wealth for men of learning, or respect for those who have knowledge; but time and chance come to all.

11I have turned so as to see under the sun, that not to the swift <FI>is<Fi> the race, nor to the mighty the battle, nor even to the wise bread, nor even to the intelligent wealth, nor even to the skilful grace, for time and chance happen with them all.

11I turned me to another thing, and 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 learned, nor favour to the skilful: but time and chance in all.

12Even man has no knowledge of his time; like fishes taken in an evil net, or like birds taken by deceit, are the sons of men taken in an evil time when it comes suddenly on them.

12For even man knoweth not his time; as fish that are taken hold of by an evil net, and as birds that are taken hold of by a snare, like these <FI>are<Fi> the sons of man snared at an evil time, when it falleth upon them suddenly.

12Man knoweth not his own end: but as fishes are taken with the hook, and as birds are caught with the snare, so men are taken in the evil time, when it shall suddenly come upon them.

13This again I have seen under the sun as wisdom and it seemed great to me.

13This also I have seen: wisdom under the sun, and it is great to me.

13This wisdom also I have seen under the sun, and it seemed to me to be very great:

14There was a little town and the number of its men was small, and there came a great king against it and made an attack on it, building works of war round about it.

14A little city, and few men in it, and a great king hath come unto it, and hath surrounded it, and hath built against it great bulwarks;

14A little city, and few men in it: there came against it a great king, and invested it, and built bulwarks round about it, and the siege was perfect.

15Now there was in the town a poor, wise man, and he, by his wisdom, kept the town safe. But no one had any memory of that same poor man.

15and there hath been found in it a poor wise man, and he hath delivered the city by his wisdom, and men have not remembered that poor man!

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

16Then I said, Wisdom is better than strength, but the poor man's wisdom is not respected, and his words are not given a hearing.

16And I said, `Better <FI>is<Fi> wisdom than might, and the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.' --

16And I said that wisdom is better than strength: how then is the wisdom of the poor man slighted, and his words not heard?

17The words of the wise which come quietly to the ear are noted more than the cry of a ruler among the foolish.

17The words of the wise in quiet are heard, More than the cry of a ruler over fools.

17The words of the wise are heard in silence, more than the cry of a prince among fools.

18Wisdom is better than instruments of war, but one sinner is the destruction of much good.

18Better <FI>is<Fi> wisdom than weapons of conflict, And one sinner destroyeth much good!

18Better is wisdom, than weapons of war: and he that shall offend in one, shall lose many good things.