New Living Translation

Darby Bible Translation

How wonderful to be wise,
to analyze and interpret things.
Wisdom lights up a person’s face,
softening its harshness.

Obey the King

Who is as the wise? and who knoweth the explanation of things? A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face is changed.

2

Obedience to the King

Obey the king since you vowed to God that you would.

2

I [say], Keep the king's commandment, and [that] on account of the oath of God.

3

Don’t try to avoid doing your duty, and don’t stand with those who plot evil, for the king can do whatever he wants.

3

Be not hasty to go out of his sight; persist not in an evil thing: for he doeth whatever pleaseth him,

4

His command is backed by great power. No one can resist or question it.

4

because the word of a king is power; and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

5

Those who obey him will not be punished. Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right,

5

Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart knoweth time and manner.

6

for there is a time and a way for everything, even when a person is in trouble.

6

For to every purpose there is time and manner. For the misery of man is great upon him;

7

Indeed, how can people avoid what they don’t know is going to happen?

7

for he knoweth not that which shall be; for who can tell him how it shall be?

8

None of us can hold back our spirit from departing. None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death. There is no escaping that obligation, that dark battle. And in the face of death, wickedness will certainly not rescue the wicked.

8

There is no man who hath control over the spirit to retain the spirit; and no one hath control over the day of death; and there is no discharge in that war, neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

9

The Wicked and the Righteous

I have thought deeply about all that goes on here under the sun, where people have the power to hurt each other.

9

All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time when man ruleth man to his hurt.

10

I have seen wicked people buried with honor. Yet they were the very ones who frequented the Temple and are now praiseda in the same city where they committed their crimes! This, too, is meaningless.

10

Fear God

And I have also seen the wicked buried and going away; and such as had acted rightly went from [the] holy place, and were forgotten in the city. This also is vanity.

11

When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong.

11

Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to do evil.

12

But even though a person sins a hundred times and still lives a long time, I know that those who fear God will be better off.

12

Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and prolong his [days], yet I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, because they fear before him;

13

The wicked will not prosper, for they do not fear God. Their days will never grow long like the evening shadows.

13

but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong [his] days as a shadow, because he feareth not before God.

14

And this is not all that is meaningless in our world. In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is so meaningless!

14

God's Ways are Mysterious

There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there are righteous [men] unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; and there are wicked [men] to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

15

So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.

15

And I commended mirth, because there is nothing better for man 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 hath given him under the sun.

16

In my search for wisdom and in my observation of people’s burdens here on earth, I discovered that there is ceaseless activity, day and night.

16

When I applied my 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),

17

I realized that no one can discover everything God is doing under the sun. Not even the wisest people discover everything, no matter what they claim.

17

then I saw that all [is] the work of God, [and] that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because however man may labour to seek [it] out, yet doth he not find [it]; and even, if a wise [man] think to know [it], he shall not be able to find [it] out.

Parallel

New Living Translation

Darby Bible Translation

Ecclesiastes 8

Ecclesiastes 8