Ecclesiastes 9 Parallel Bible Translations

Ecclesiastes 9 ▼
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New American Bible Revised
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1 All this I have kept in my heart and all this I examined: The just, the wise, and their deeds are in the hand of God. Love from hatred mortals cannot tell; both are before them. But 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. So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them.
2 Everything is the same for everybody: the same lot for the just and the wicked, for the good, for the clean and the unclean, for the one who offers sacrifice and the one who does not. As it is for the good, so it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who takes an oath, so it is for the one who fears an oath. It 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. All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. As it is with the good, so with the sinful; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them.
3 Among all the things that are done under the sun, this is the worst, that there is one lot for all. Hence the hearts of human beings are filled with evil, and madness is in their hearts during life; and afterward—to the dead! This 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. This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead.
4 For whoever is chosen among all the living has hope: “A live dog is better off than a dead lion.” But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. Anyone who is among the living has hope —even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!
5 For the living know that they are to die, but the dead no longer know anything. There is no further recompense for them, because all memory of them is lost. For 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. For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten.
6 For them, love and hatred and rivalry have long since perished. Never again will they have part in anything that is done under the sun. Their 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. Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.
7 Go, eat your bread with joy and drink your wine with a merry heart, because it is now that God favors your works. Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do. Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.
8 At all times let your garments be white, and spare not the perfume for your head. Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head. Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil.
9 Enjoy life with the wife you love, all the days of the vain life granted you under the sun. This is your lot in life, for the toil of your labors under the sun. Enjoy 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. Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.
10 Anything you can turn your hand to, do with what power you have; for there will be no work, no planning, no knowledge, no wisdom in Sheol where you are going. Whatever 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. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
11 Again I saw under the sun that the race is not won by the swift, nor the battle by the valiant, nor a livelihood by the wise, nor riches by the shrewd, nor favor by the experts; for a time of misfortune comes to all alike. Again 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. I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.
12 Human beings no more know their own time than fish taken in the fatal net or birds trapped in the snare; like these, mortals are caught when an evil time suddenly falls upon them. For 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. Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so people are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.
13 On the other hand I saw this wise deed under the sun, which I thought magnificent. I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me:
14 Against a small city with few inhabitants advanced a mighty king, who surrounded it and threw up great siegeworks about it. There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it.
15 But in the city lived a man who, though poor, was wise, and he delivered it through his wisdom. Yet no one remembered this poor man. But there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man.
16 Though I had said, “Wisdom is better than force,” yet the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words go unheeded. But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heard. So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.
17 The quiet words of the wise are better heeded than the shout of a ruler of fools. The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one bungler destroys much good. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.
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