Darby Bible Translation

English Standard Version

Death Comes to Good and Bad

For all this I laid to my heart and [indeed] to investigate all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; man knoweth neither love nor hatred: all is before them.

1

Death Comes to All

But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him.

2

All things [come] alike to all: one event to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean, to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

2

It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil,a to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath.

3

This is an evil among all that is done under the sun, that one thing befalleth all: yea, also the heart of the children of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live; and after that, [they have to go] to the dead.

3

This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

4

For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

4

But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5

For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.

5

For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.

6

Their love also, and their hatred, and their envy is already perished; neither have they any more for ever a portion in all that is done under the sun.

6

Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.

7

Enjoy Your Portion in This Life

Go, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God hath already accepted thy works.

7

Enjoy Life with the One You Love

Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.

8

Let thy garments be always white, and let not thy head lack oil.

8

Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.

9

Enjoy life with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity; for that is thy portion in life, and in thy labour wherein thou art labouring under the sun.

9

Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vainb life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun.

10

Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest.

10

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might,c for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which 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 the intelligent, nor yet favour to men of knowledge; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

11

Wisdom Better Than Folly

Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.

12

For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are taken with the snare, like them are the children of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

12

For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.

13

Wisdom Better than Strength

This also have I seen as wisdom under the sun, and it was great unto me.

13

I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me.

14

There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and encompassed it, and built great bulwarks against it:

14

There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it.

15

and there was found in it a poor wise man, who by his wisdom delivered the city; but no man remembered that poor man.

15

But there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man.

16

Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength; but the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

16

But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.

17

The words of the wise are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.

17

The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.

18

Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroyeth much good.

18

Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Parallel

Darby Bible Translation

English Standard Version

Ecclesiastes 9

Ecclesiastes 9