Death Comes to Good and Bad

1For all this I gave to my heart, and to examine all this, that the just and the wise and their works are in the hand of God: also love, also hatred, no man shall know of all before them.

2All according to all: one event to the just one and to the unjust one; to the good one and to the clean one, and to the unclean one; to him sacrificing and to him not sacrificing: as the good one, so the sinning one; he swearing, as he who shall fear an oath. 3This an evil in all being done under the sun, thus one event is to all: and also the heart of the sons of man being full of evil, and folly in their heart in their living, and after it to their deaths. 4For whoever shall choose to all the living there is hope: for to a living dog it is good above a dead lion. 5For the living know they shall die: and the dead know not any thing, and no more to them a reward; for their remembrance was forgotten. 6Also their love, also their hatred, also their envy perished already; and no more portion to them forever in all which was done under the sun.

Enjoy Your Portion in This Life

7Go eat in joy thy bread, and drink thy wine in a good heart; for already God was satisfied with thy works. 8In all time thy garments shall be white; and ointment shall not be wanting upon thy head. 9See life with the wife which thou didst love all the days of the life of thy vanity which he gave to thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for this thy portion in life, and in thy labor which thou laborest under the sun.

10All which thy hand shall find to do, with thy strength, do thou; for no work and understanding and knowledge and wisdom, in hades where thou goest there.

11I turned back, and saw under the sun that not to the fleet the race, and the war not to the strong, and also not to the wise, bread; and also not to the understanding ones, riches; and also not to the knowing, favor; for time and chance will light upon all of them. 12For also man knew not his time: as the fishes being laid hold of in an evil net, and as the birds laid hold of in the snare, as they, the sons of men being snared for an evil time, as it will fall upon them suddenly.

Wisdom Is Better than Strength

13Also this I saw, the wisdom under the sun, and it was great to me: 14A little city, and men in it few; and a great king came against it, and surrounded it, and built against it great entrenchments: 15And a poor wise man was found in it, and he delivered the city by his wisdom; and not a man remembered that poor man. 16And I said, Wisdom is good above strength: and the wisdom of the poor one was despised, and his words not heard. 17The words of the wise being heard in quiet more than the cry of him ruling among the foolish. 18Wisdom is good above the instruments of encounter: and one sinning will destroy much good.