Ecclesiastes, 8

1. Who compares with the sage? Who else knows how to explain things? Wisdom lights up the face, enlivening a grim expression.

1. Who is like the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his countenance is changed.

2. Obey the king's command and, because of the divine promise,

2. Keep the king's command, and because of your sacred oath be not dismayed;

3. be in no hurry to depart from it; do not be obstinate in a bad cause, since the king will do as he likes in any case.

3. go from his presence, do not delay when the matter is unpleasant, for he does whatever he pleases.

4. Since the word of a king is sovereign, what is the point of saying, 'Why do that?'

4. For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, "What are you doing?"

5. One who obeys the command will come to no harm; the heart of the sage knows the right moment and verdict,

5. He who obeys a command will meet no harm, and the mind of a wise man will know the time and way.

6. for there is a right moment and verdict for everything; but misfortune lies heavy upon anyone

6. For every matter has its time and way, although man's trouble lies heavy upon him.

7. who does not know what the outcome will be, no one is going to say how things will turn out.

7. For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be?

8. No one can control the wind and stop it from blowing, no one can control the day of death. From war there is no escape, no more can wickedness save the person who commits it.

8. No man has power to retain the spirit, or authority over the day of death; there is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it.

9. I have seen all this to be so, having carefully studied everything taking place under the sun, while one person tyrannises over another to the former's detriment.

9. All this I observed while applying my mind to all that is done under the sun, while man lords it over man to his hurt.

10. And again, I have observed the wicked carried to their graves, and people leaving the holy place and, once out in the city, forgetting how the wicked used to behave; how futile this is too!

10. Then I saw the wicked buried; they used to go in and out of the holy place, and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity.

11. Because the sentence on the evil-doer is not carried out on the instant, people's hearts are full of desire to do wrong.

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

12. The sinner who does wrong a hundred times lives on. But this too I know, that there is good in store for people who fear God, because they fear him,

12. Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him;

13. but there is no good in store for the wicked because he does not fear God, and so, like a shadow, he will not prolong his days.

13. but it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.

14. Another futile thing that happens on earth: upright people being treated as though they were wicked and wicked people being treated as though they were upright. To me this is one more example of futility.

14. There is a vanity which takes place on earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

15. And therefore I praise joy, since human happiness lies only in eating and drinking and in taking pleasure; this comes from what someone achieves during the days of life that God gives under the sun.

15. And I commend enjoyment, for man has no good thing under the sun but to eat and drink, and enjoy himself, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of life which God gives him under the sun.

16. Having applied myself to acquiring wisdom and to observing the activity taking place in the world -- for day and night our eyes enjoy no rest-

16. When I applied my mind to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night one's eyes see sleep;

17. I have scrutinised God's whole creation: you cannot get to the bottom of everything taking place under the sun; you may wear yourself out in the search, but you will never find it. Not even a sage can get to the bottom of it, even if he says that he has done so.

17. then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out; even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.