The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Ecclesiastes 09
1 For all this I laid to my heart, even to
explore all this: that the righteous, and
the wise, and their works, are in the hand
of God; whether it is love or hatred, man
doesn’t know it; all is before them.
2 All things come alike to all. There is one
event to the righteous and to the wicked;
to the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to
himwho sacrifices, andtohimwhodoesn’t
sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he
who takes an oath, as he who fears an oath.
3 This is an evil in all that is done under
the sun, that there is one event to all. Yes
also, the heart of the sons of men is full of
evil, and madness is in their heart while
they live, and after thatthey go to the dead.
4 For to him who is joined with all the
living there is hope; for a living dog is
better than a dead lion.
5 For the living know that they will die,
but the dead don’t know anything, neither
do they have any more a reward; for their
memory is forgotten.
6 Also their love, their hatred, and their
envy has perished long ago; neither do
they any longer have a portion forever in
anything that is done under the sun.
7 Go your way—eat your bread with joy,
and drink your wine with a merry heart;
for God has already accepted your works.
8 Let your garments be always white,
and don’t let your head lack oil.
9 Live joyfully with the wife whom you
love all the days of your life of vanity,
which he has given you under the sun, all
your days of vanity,for that is your portion
in life, and in your labor in which you
labor under the sun.
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do
it with your might; for there is no work,
nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in
Sheol,† where you are going.
11 I returned and saw under the sun that
the race is not to the swift, nor the battle
to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise,
nor yet riches to men of understanding,
nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and
chance happen to them all.
12 Formanalso doesn’t know his time. As
the fish that are taken in an evil net, and
as the birds that are caught in the snare,
even so are the sons of men snared in an
evil time, when it falls suddenly on them.
13 I have also seen wisdom under the sun
in this way, and it seemed great to me.
14 There was a little city, and few men
within it; and a great king came against
it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks
against it.
15 Now a poor wise man was found in it,
and he by his wisdom delivered the city;
yet no man remembered that same poor
man.
16 Then I said, “Wisdom is better than
strength.” Nevertheless the poor man’s
wisdom is despised, and his words are not
heard.
17 The words of the wise heard in quiet
are better than the cry of him who rules
among fools.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of
war; but one sinner destroys much good.