Ecclesiastes 8 Parallel Bible Translations

Ecclesiastes 8 ▼
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New American Bible Revised
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1 Who is like the wise person, and who knows the explanation of things? Wisdom illumines the face and transforms a grim countenance. 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 Observe the command of the king, in view of your oath to 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 Be not hasty to withdraw from the king; do not persist in an unpleasant situation, for he does 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 His word is sovereign, 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 “Whoever observes a command knows no harm, and the wise heart knows times and judgments.” 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 Yes, there is a time and a judgment for everything. But it is a great evil for mortals 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 that they are ignorant of what is to come; for who will make known to them how it will be? 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 one is master of the breath of life so as to retain it, and none has mastery of the day of death. There is no exemption in wartime, nor does wickedness deliver those who practice it. 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 these things I saw and I applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun, while one person tyrannizes over another for harm. 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 Meanwhile I saw the wicked buried. They would come and go from the holy place. But those were forgotten in the city who had acted justly. This also 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 deed is not promptly executed, the human heart is filled with the desire to commit 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 because the sinner does evil a hundred times and survives. Though indeed I know that it shall be well with those who fear God, for their reverence toward him; 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 and that it shall not be well with the wicked, who shall not prolong their shadowy days, for their lack of reverence toward 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 This is a vanity that occurs on earth: There are those who are just but are treated as though they had done evil, and those who are wicked but are treated as though they had done justly. This, too, I say 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 Therefore I praised joy, because there is nothing better for mortals under the sun than to eat and to drink and to be joyful; this will accompany them in their toil through the limited days of life God gives them 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 I applied my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on earth, though neither by day nor by night do one’s eyes see sleep, 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: No mortal can find out the work that is done under the sun. However much mortals may toil in searching, no one finds it out; and even if the wise claim to know, they are unable to 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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