Ecclesiastes 8

¹Who is like the wise man, and who knoweth the explanation of a thing? A man’s wisdom brighteneth his countenance, and the harshness of his face is changed.

²I counsel thee to keep the king’s commandment, and that on account of the oath of God.

³Be not in haste to depart from his presence; persist not in an evil thing; for whatever pleaseth him, that he doeth.

⁴For the word of the king is powerful; and who can say to him, "What doest thou?"

⁵He that keepeth the commandment shall experience no evil; and the heart of the wise man hath regard to time and judgment.

⁶For to every thing there is a time and judgment. For the misery of man is great upon him.

⁷For no one knoweth what shall be; for who can tell him how it shall be?

⁸No man hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit, and no man hath power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in that war; and wickedness shall not deliver those that are guilty of it.

⁹All this have I seen, and I have given heed to all things that are done under the sun. There is a time when man ruleth over man to his hurt.

¹⁰And so I saw the wicked buried, while the righteous came and went from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city. This also is vanity.

¹¹Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore doth the heart of the sons of men become bold within them to do evil.

¹²But though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and have his days prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that fear before him.

¹³But it shall not be well with the wicked: he shall be like a shadow, and shall not prolong his days, because he feareth not before God.

¹⁴There is a vanity which taketh place upon the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked, and that there are wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous. I said, "This also is vanity!"

¹⁵Then I commended joy; because nothing is good for a man under the sun, except to eat and to drink and to be joyful; for it is this that abideth with him for his labor during the days of his life which God giveth him under the sun.

¹⁶When I applied my mind to know wisdom, and to see the business which is done upon the earth,—that one seeth no sleep with his eyes by day or by night,—

¹⁷then I saw the whole work of God, that a man cannot comprehend that which is done under the sun; how much soever he labor to search it out, yet shall he not comprehend it; yea, though a wise man resolve to know it, yet shall he not be able to comprehend it.

Ecclesiastes 8

¹Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.

²I counsel thee to keep the king’s commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.

³Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.

⁴Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

⁵Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment.

⁶Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.

⁷For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?

⁸There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

⁹All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.

¹⁰And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.

¹¹Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

¹²Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:

¹³But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

¹⁴There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.

¹⁵Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

¹⁶When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:)

¹⁷Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.