New King James Version

English Standard Version

Death Comes to All

For I [a]considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all: that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. People know neither love nor hatred by anything they see 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 happens to the righteous and the wicked;
To the [b]good, the clean, and the unclean;
To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice.
As is the good, so is the sinner;
He who takes an oath as he who fears 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 in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they 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

But for him who 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 will die;
But the dead know nothing,
And they have no more 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

Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished;
Nevermore will they have a share
In anything 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

Go, eat your bread with joy,
And drink your wine with a merry heart;
For God has already accepted your 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 your garments always be white,
And let your head lack no oil.

8

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

9

[c]Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform 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 your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.

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,
Nor bread to the wise,
Nor riches to men of understanding,
Nor favor to men of skill;
But time and chance happen 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 does not know his time:
Like fish taken in a cruel net,
Like birds caught in a snare,
So the sons of men are snared in an evil time,
When it falls 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 Superior to Folly

This wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and it seemed great to 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 with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great [d]snares around 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

Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same 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 I said:
“Wisdom is better than strength.
Nevertheless 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

Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard
Rather than the shout of a ruler of 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 destroys much good.”

18

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

Parallel

New King James Version

English Standard Version

Ecclesiastes 9

Ecclesiastes 9