| English Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1But 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. | 1This, too, I carefully explored: Even though the actions of godly and wise people are in God’s hands, no one knows whether God will show them favor. |
| 2It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, 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. | 2The same destiny ultimately awaits everyone, whether righteous or wicked, good or bad, ceremonially clean or unclean, religious or irreligious. Good people receive the same treatment as sinners, and people who make promises to God are treated like people who don’t. |
| 3This 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. | 3It seems so wrong that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate. Already twisted by evil, people choose their own mad course, for they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway. |
| 4But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. | 4There is hope only for the living. As they say, “It’s better to be a live dog than a dead lion!” |
| 5For 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. | 5The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered. |
| 6Their 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. | 6Whatever they did in their lifetime—loving, hating, envying—is all long gone. They no longer play a part in anything here on earth. |
| 7Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do. | 7So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this! |
| 8Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head. | 8Wear fine clothes, with a splash of cologne! |
| 9Enjoy 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. | 9Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil. |
| 10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going. | 10Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom. |
| 11Again 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. | 11I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time. |
| 12For 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. | 12People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a trap, people are caught by sudden tragedy. Thoughts on Wisdom and Folly |
| 13I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. | 13Here is another bit of wisdom that has impressed me as I have watched the way our world works. |
| 14There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. | 14There was a small town with only a few people, and a great king came with his army and besieged it. |
| 15But there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. | 15A poor, wise man knew how to save the town, and so it was rescued. But afterward no one thought to thank him. |
| 16But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heard. | 16So even though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise will be despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long. |
| 17The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. | 17Better to hear the quiet words of a wise person than the shouts of a foolish king. |
| 18Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. | 18Better to have wisdom than weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much that is good. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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