Ecclesiastes 8
8
Wisdom, Authorities, and Inequities
1Who is like the wise person, and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed. # Dt 28:50
2Keep # Some Hb mss, LXX, Vg, Tg, Syr; other Hb mss read I, keep the king’s command because of your oath made before God. # Ex 22:11; 2Sm 21:7; Ezk 17:18 3Do not be in a hurry; leave his presence, # Ec 10:4 and don’t persist in a bad cause, since he will do whatever he wants. 4For the king’s word is authoritative, and who can say to him, “What are you doing? ” # Jb 9:12; Dn 4:35 5The one who keeps a command will not experience anything harmful, # Rm 13:3 and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure. 6For every activity there is a right time and procedure, # Ec 3:1,17 even though man’s troubles are heavy on him. 7Yet no one knows what will happen # Ec 3:22; 6:12; 9:12; 10:14 because who can tell him what will happen? 8No one has authority over the wind # Or life-breath to restrain it, # Ps 148:8; Pr 30:4; Mk 4:39 and there is no authority over the day of death; # Jn 10:18; 2Tm 1:10 there is no furlough in battle, and wickedness will not allow those who practice it to escape. 9All this I have seen, applying my mind to all the work that is done under the sun, at a time when one man has authority over another to his harm.
10In such circumstances, I saw the wicked buried. They came and went from the holy place, # Ec 9:5 and they were praised # Some Hb mss, LXX, Aq, Theod, Sym; other Hb mss read forgotten in the city where they did so. This too is futile. 11Because the sentence against a criminal act is not carried out quickly, # Rm 2:4; 2Pt 3:9 the heart of people is filled with the desire to commit crime. 12Although a sinner commits crime a hundred times and prolongs his life, # Ec 7:15 yet I also know that it will go well with God-fearing people, # Dt 12:25; Ps 37:11; Pr 1:33; Is 3:10 for they are reverent before Him. 13However, it will not go well with the wicked, # Is 3:11 and they will not lengthen their days like a shadow, # Jb 14:2; Ec 6:12 for they are not reverent before God.
14There is a futility that is done on the earth: there are righteous people who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, # Ec 7:15 and there are wicked people who get what the actions of the righteous deserve. # Jb 21:7; Ps 73:3; Jr 12:1 I say that this too is futile. 15So I commended enjoyment because there is nothing better for man under the sun than to eat, drink, and enjoy himself, # Ec 2:24 for this will accompany him in his labor during the days of his life that God gives him under the sun.
16When I applied my mind to know wisdom # Ec 1:13-14 and to observe the activity that is done on the earth (even though one’s eyes do not close in sleep day or night), 17I observed all the work of God and concluded that man is unable to discover the work that is done under the sun. Even though a man labors hard to explore it, he cannot find it; # Ec 3:11; 7:25-29; 11:5 even if the wise man claims to know it, he is unable to discover it.
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Ecclesiastes 8
8
1Who is wise? And who knows the meaning of anything?
A person’s wisdom brightens the expression;
it changes the hardness of someone’s face.
Watch out for power
2Keep#8.2 Correction; Heb I (say?) keep the king’s command
as you would keep a solemn pledge.
3Don’t be dismayed; leave his presence.
Don’t linger in a harmful situation
because he can do whatever he wants!
4Because the king’s word has authority,
no one can say to him, “What are you doing?”
5Whoever keeps a command will meet no harm, and the wise heart knows the right time and the right way 6because there’s a right time and right way for every matter. But human misfortunes are overwhelming 7because no one knows what will happen, and no one can say when something might happen. 8No one has control over the life-breath,#8.8 Or wind to retain it, and there’s no control over the day of death. There’s no release from war, and wickedness won’t deliver those who practice it.
9I observed all of this as I paid attention to all that happens under the sun. Sometimes people exercise power over each other to their detriment. 10Then I saw the wicked brought to their graves, with people processing from a holy place,#8.10 Or temple while those who had lived honestly were neglected in the city. This too is pointless.
11The condemnation for wicked acts isn’t carried out quickly; that’s why people dare to do evil. 12Wrongdoers may commit a hundred crimes but still live long lives. But I also know that it will go well for those who fear God, for those who are reverent before God. 13But it will not go well for the wicked; they won’t live long at all because they aren’t reverent before God. 14Here’s another thing that happens on earth that is pointless: the righteous get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked get what the righteous deserve. I say that this too is pointless.
Enjoy life
15So I commend enjoyment because there’s nothing better for people to do under the sun but to eat, drink, and be glad. This is what will accompany them in their hard work, during the lifetime that God gives under the sun.
16Then I set my mind to know wisdom and to observe the business that happens on earth, even going without sleep day and night 17I observed all the work of God—that no one can grasp what happens under the sun. Those who strive to know can’t grasp it. Even the wise who are set on knowing are unable to grasp it.
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