“Who 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.
I counsel thee to keep the king’s commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.
Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment.
Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.
For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?
There 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.
All 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.
And 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.
Because 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.
Though 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:
But 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.
There 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.
Then 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.
When 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:)
Then 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 farther; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.” – Ecclesiastes 8 (KJV)
1 Who is such a wise man? And who knows how to explain a situation? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine and softens the hard look on his face.
2 Obey the king’s command[a] because of your oath before God.[b] 3 Do not quickly leave his presence. Do not stand up for[c] a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases. 4 For a king’s word is supreme, and who will say to him, “What are you doing?”
5 Whoever obeys a command will experience no harm, and a wise heart will know the right time and the right way to act, 6 because for each situation there is a right time and a right way to act, although evil may weigh a man down. 7 But no one knows what will be. Indeed, who can tell him what will be?[d] 8 As no one has power to restrain the wind, there is no power over the day of death. No discharge is granted during war, and wickedness will not deliver those who practice it.
9 All this I saw while I was applying my heart to every work done under the sun, during this time when one man has power over another to harm him.[e] 10 While doing this, I have seen wicked people buried. They had come and gone from the holy place, and they were praised[f] in the city where they had done so! This too is vapor.
11 When the sentence for a crime is not carried out quickly, people’s hearts are emboldened to do evil.
12 Though a sinner commits a hundred crimes and lives for a long time,[g] I nevertheless know that it will turn out well for those who fear God, who stand in awe before him. 13 But it will not be good for the wicked. Such a man will not lengthen his days like a shadow, since he does not stand in fear before God.
14 Another example of vapor that appears on the earth is when righteous people get what the wicked deserve for their actions, and wicked people get what the righteous deserve for their actions. I said, “This too is vapor.”
15 So I sang the praises of pleasure, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. Such joy will stay with him during his hard work, throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.
16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to observe the tiresome business done on the earth (even though it keeps a person from sleeping day or night), 17 I saw everything that God has done, but no man can grasp all the work that is done under the sun. No matter how hard a man works to explore it, he cannot discover it all. Even if the wise man claims to know it, he cannot find it. – Ecclesiastes 8 (EHV)
Footnotes:
[a] Ecclesiastes 8:2 The translation follows the ancient versions and some Hebrew manuscripts. The main Hebrew reading is I obey the king’s command or I say, obey the king’s command.
[b] Ecclesiastes 8:2 Or God’s oath to him
[c] Ecclesiastes 8:3 Or persist in
[d] Ecclesiastes 8:7 Or who can tell him when it will happen
[e] Ecclesiastes 8:9 Or one man has power over another to his own detriment
[f] Ecclesiastes 8:10 The translation follows the Greek and some Hebrew manuscripts. Most Hebrew manuscripts read but they were forgotten.
[g] Ecclesiastes 8:12 Or gets away with it