Ecclesiastes 8 Parallel Bible Translations

Ecclesiastes 8 ▼
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1 Who is like the wise one, and who knows the interpretation of a thing? The wisdom of a man makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed. Who is like the wise? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed. Who is like the wise? Who knows the explanation of things? A person’s wisdom brightens their face and changes its hard appearance.
2 I say: The mouth of a king you must keep, even for the sake of the oath of God. I say: Keep the king’s command, because of God’s oath to him. Obey the king’s command, I say, because you took an oath before God.
3 Do not hurry to depart from his face; do not stand in an evil matter, for all that he delights in, he will do. Be not hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases. Do not be in a hurry to leave the king’s presence. Do not stand up for a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases.
4 Where the word of a king is, power is, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?” For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, “What are you doing?” Since a king’s word is supreme, who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
5 The one guarding a command will not know an evil thing, and the heart of a wise one knows a time and a judgment. Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way. Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.
6 For to every delight there is a time and a judgment, though the misery of man is great upon him. For there is a time and a way for everything, although man’s trouble lies heavy on him. For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a person may be weighed down by misery.
7 Indeed, he is not knowing what will happen; for when it will be, who can declare it to him? For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be? Since no one knows the future, who can tell someone else what is to come?
8 No man is masterful over the wind to restrain the wind, and no one has mastery over the day of his death. And there is no discharge in the battle, and wickedness will not deliver its possessors. No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it. As no one has power over the wind to contain it, so no one has power over the time of their death. As no one is discharged in time of war, so wickedness will not release those who practice it.
9 All this I have seen, so as to give my heart to every work that is done the under sun; a time that man has ruled over man, for evil unto himself. All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt. All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is a time when a man lords it over others to his own hurt.
10 And in this I have seen the wicked ones being buried, and they went in, even from the place of holiness they walked, and they were praised in the city where thus they had done. This also is vapor. Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity. Then too, I saw the wicked buried—those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless.
11 Because an edict is not made on the evil work swiftly, upon thus the heart of the sons of man is fully set in them to do evil. Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong.
12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and it is prolonged to him still, surely I know that there is good for those fearing God, who fear from before His face. Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him.
13 But it shall not be good for the wicked, and he will not prolong the days like a shadow, because he is not fearing before the face of God. But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God. Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.
14 There is a vapor that occurs on the earth: That there are righteous ones for whom it touches them according to the work of the wicked, and there are wicked for whom it touches them according to the work of the righteous. I have said this also is vapor. There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless.
15 And I have praised the enjoyment, because nothing is good for a man under the sun, except than to eat and to drink and to be joyful, for only this will accompany him in his toil during the days of his life that God has given to him under the sun. And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun. So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.
16 When I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to see the task that is done on earth—for even he is not seeing sleep with his eyes in the day and in the night— When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one’s eyes see sleep, When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the labor that is done on earth—people getting no sleep day or night—
17 and I saw all the work of God, that man is not able to find out the work that is done under the sun in that to which man might toil to seek it, and he will not find it; and even though the wise one claims to know it, he is not able to find it. then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out. then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it.
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