1 W ho is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.

¶ Who is as the wise man? and who is as he who knows the interpretation of all things? The wisdom of this man shall make his face to shine, and the coarseness of his face shall be changed.

2 I counsel thee to keep the king’s commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.

I counsel thee to keep the king’s commandment and the word of the covenant that thou hast made with God.

3 B e not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.

Do not be hasty to rebel against him; do not persist in any evil thing, for he shall do whatsoever pleases him;

4 W here the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

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

5 W hoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment.

Whosoever keeps the commandment shall experience no evil thing, and a wise man’s heart discerns both time and judgment.

6 B ecause to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.

¶ Because for every will there is time and judgment, because the evil of man is great upon him,

7 F or he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?

for he does not know that which shall be; nor when it shall be. Who will teach it to him?

8 T here is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

There is no man that has power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither does he have power over the day of death, and weapons are of no use in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

9 A ll this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.

¶ All this I have seen and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: the time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt.

10 A nd so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.

Then I also saw that the wicked who were buried came into remembrance more than those who had frequented the holy place, and these were forgotten in the city where they had worked uprightly. This also is vanity.

11 B ecause sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

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

12 T hough a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:

Though a sinner does evil one hundred times and his judgment is prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with those that fear God, who fear before his presence;

13 b ut it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

but it shall never be well with the wicked, neither shall his days be prolonged, which are as a shadow, because he did not fear before the presence of God.

14 T here is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.

¶ There is another vanity which is done upon the earth: that there are just men, who are recompensed as if they had done according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men, who are recompensed as if they had done according to the work of the righteous; I say that this also is vanity.

15 T hen I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing 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 giveth him under the sun.

Therefore I commended joy because a man has no better thing 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 gives him under the sun.

16 W hen I applied mine 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:)

Therefore I applied mine heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done upon the earth (for also there is he that neither day nor night sees sleep with his eyes).

17 t hen I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.

And I have seen regarding all the works of God that man cannot attain to understand the work that is being done under the sun, because though a man labours to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; even though the wise man says that he knows it, yet he shall not be able to attain it.