Ecclesiastes 9
9
Everything Is in the Hands of God
1Now, I have carefully thought about all this, and I explain it in this way: Righteous people and wise people, along with their accomplishments, are in God’s hands. No one knows whether there will be love or hatred. 2Everything turns out the same way for everyone. All people will share the same destiny, whether they are righteous, wicked, or good, clean or unclean,#9:2 “Clean” refers to anything that Moses’ Teachings say is presentable to God. “Unclean” refers to anything that Moses’ Teachings say is not presentable to God. whether they offer sacrifices or don’t offer sacrifices. Good people are treated like sinners. People who take oaths are treated like those who are afraid to take oaths.
Where There’s Life, There’s Hope
3This is the tragedy of everything that happens under the sun: Everyone shares the same destiny. Moreover, the hearts of mortals are full of evil. Madness is in their hearts while they are still alive. After that, they join the dead. 4But all who are among the living have hope, because a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5The living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything. There is no more reward for the dead when the memory of them has faded. 6Their love, their hate, and their passions have already vanished. They will never again take part in anything that happens under the sun.
Enjoy Life with Your Wife
7Go, enjoy eating your food, and drink your wine cheerfully, because God has already accepted what you’ve done. 8Always wear clean clothes, and never go without lotion on your head. 9Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, during all your brief, pointless life. God has given you your pointless life under the sun. This is your lot ⌞in life⌟ and what you get for the hard work that you do under the sun.
Work with All Your Might
10Whatever presents itself for you to do, do it with ⌞all⌟ your might, because there is no work, planning, knowledge, or skill in the grave where you’re going.
Time and Unpredictable Events
11I saw something else under the sun. The race isn’t ⌞won⌟ by fast runners, or the battle by heroes. Wise people don’t necessarily have food. Intelligent people don’t necessarily have riches, and skilled people don’t necessarily receive special treatment. But time and unpredictable events overtake all of them. 12No one knows when his time will come. Like fish that are caught in a cruel net or birds caught in a snare, humans are trapped by a disaster when it suddenly strikes them.
Wisdom Is Despised
13I also have seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it made a deep impression on me. 14There was a small town with a few soldiers in it, and a powerful king came to attack it. He surrounded it and blockaded it. 15A poor, wise person was found in that town. He saved the town using his wisdom. But no one remembered that poor person. 16So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength,” even though that poor person’s wisdom was despised, and no one listened to what he said.
17One should pay more attention to calm words from wise people than shouting from a ruler of fools. 18Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much that is good.
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Ecclesiastes 9: GW
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Ecclesiastes 9
9
1 For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn’t know it; all is before them. 2All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn’t sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath, as he who fears an oath. 3This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all. Yes also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead. 4For to him who is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten. 6Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither do they any longer have a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.
7 Go your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works. 8Let your garments be always white, and don’t let your head lack oil. 9Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity, for that is your portion in life, and in your labour in which you labour under the sun. 10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol,#9:10 Sheol is the place of the dead. where 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 men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all. 12For man also doesn’t know his time. As the fish that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them.
13 I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to me. 14There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it. 15Now a poor wise man was found in it, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. 16Then I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. 17The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules amongst fools. 18Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.
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