Ecclesiastes 8 Parallel Bible Translations

Ecclesiastes 8 ▼
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1 Who is a wise person? Who knows the solution to a problem? A person's wisdom brightens his appearance, and softens his harsh 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 Obey the king's command, because you took an oath before God to be loyal to him. 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 rush out of the king's presence in haste--do not delay when the matter is unpleasant, for he can 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 Surely the king's authority is absolute; no one 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 obeys his command will not experience harm, and a wise person knows the proper time and procedure. 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 procedure for every matter, for the oppression of the king is severe upon his victim. 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 Surely no one knows the future, and no one can tell another person what 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 Just as no one has power over the wind to restrain it, so no one has power over the day of his death. Just as no one can be discharged during the battle, so wickedness cannot rescue the wicked. 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 While applying my mind to everything that happens in this world, I have seen all this: Sometimes one person dominates other people to their 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 Not only that, but I have seen the wicked approaching and entering the temple, and as they left the holy temple, they boasted in the city that they had done so. This also is an enigma. 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 When a sentence is not executed at once against a crime, the human heart is encouraged 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 Even though a sinner might commit a hundred crimes and still live a long time, yet I know that it will go well with God-fearing people--for they stand in fear before 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 But it will not go well with the wicked, nor will they prolong their days like a shadow, because they do not stand in fear before 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 Here is another enigma that occurs on earth: Sometimes there are righteous people who get what the wicked deserve, and sometimes there are wicked people who get what the righteous deserve. I said, |This also is an enigma.| 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 recommend the enjoyment of life, for there is nothing better on earth for a person to do except to eat, drink, and enjoy life. So joy will accompany him in his toil during the days of his life which God gives him on earth. 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 tried to gain wisdom and to observe the activity on earth--even though it prevents anyone from sleeping 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 then I discerned all that God has done: No one really comprehends what happens on earth. Despite all human efforts to discover it, no one can ever grasp it. Even if a wise person claimed that he understood, he would not really comprehend 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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