English Standard Version

New Living Translation

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.

1

Death Comes to All

This, too, I carefully explored: Even though the actions of godly and wise people are in God’s hands, no one knows whether God will show them favor.

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.

2

The same destiny ultimately awaits everyone, whether righteous or wicked, good or bad,a ceremonially clean or unclean, religious or irreligious. Good people receive the same treatment as sinners, and people who make promises to God are treated like people who don’t.

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.

3

It seems so wrong that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate. Already twisted by evil, people choose their own mad course, for they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway.

4

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

4

There is hope only for the living. As they say, “It’s better to be a live dog than a dead lion!”

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.

5

The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered.

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.

6

Whatever they did in their lifetime — loving, hating, envying — is all long gone. They no longer play a part in anything here on earth.

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.

7

So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this!

8

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

8

Wear fine clothes, with a splash of cologne!

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.

9

Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil.

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.

10

Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave,b there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

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.

11

I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time.

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.

12

People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a trap, people are caught by sudden tragedy.

13

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

13

Thoughts on Wisdom and Folly

Here is another bit of wisdom that has impressed me as I have watched the way our world works.

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.

14

There was a small town with only a few people, and a great king came with his army and besieged it.

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.

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A poor, wise man knew how to save the town, and so it was rescued. But afterward no one thought to thank him.

16

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

16

So even though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise will be despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long.

17

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

17

Better to hear the quiet words of a wise person
than the shouts of a foolish king.

18

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

18

Better to have wisdom than weapons of war,
but one sinner can destroy much that is good.

Parallel

English Standard Version

New Living Translation

Ecclesiastes 9

Ecclesiastes 9