Ecclesiastes 8 Parallel Bible Translations

Ecclesiastes 8 ▼
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1 Who is like the wise man and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom illumines his face and causes his stern face to beam. 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, “Keep the command of the king because of the sworn oath before 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 be in a hurry to go from his presence. Do not stand in an evil matter, for he will do whatever he pleases.” 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 Since the word of the king is powerful, who will 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 He who keeps a royal command experiences no evil thing, for a wise heart knows the proper time and custom. 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 there is a proper time and custom for every matter, though a man’s trouble is multiplied 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 If no one knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen? 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 There is no man who has power to restrain the wind with the wind, and there is none who has power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in the time of war, and wickedness will not provide escape to its masters. 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 and given my heart to every work that has been done under the sun wherein a man has power over another man to his calamity. 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 So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out from the holy place, and they are soon forgotten in the city where they did thus. This too is vanity. 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 the sentence against an evil work is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully 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 Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may prolong his life, still I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly. 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 will not be well for the wicked man, and he will not prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God openly. 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 vanity which is done on the earth, that is, there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the works of the wicked. On the other hand, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the works of the righteous. I say that this too is vanity. 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 So I laud gladness, for there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to be merry, and this will join with him in his labor throughout the days of his life which God has given 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 endeavor which has been done on the earth (even though one never sees sleep with his eyes day or 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 every work of God, I concluded that man cannot find out the work which has been done under the sun. Even though man should seek laboriously, he will not find it out; and though the wise man should say, “I know,” he cannot find it out. 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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