1 W ho is like the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his countenance is changed.

Who is like the wise man and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom illumines him and causes his stern face to beam.

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

I say, “Keep the command of the king because of the oath before God.

3 B e not panic-stricken and hasty to get out of his presence. Persist not in an evil thing, for he does whatever he pleases.

Do not be in a hurry to leave him. Do not join in an evil matter, for he will do whatever he pleases.”

4 F or the word of a king is authority and power, and who can say to him, What are you doing?

Since the word of the king is authoritative, who will say to him, “What are you doing?”

5 W hoever observes the command will experience no harm, and a wise man’s mind will know both when and what to do.

He who keeps a royal command experiences no trouble, for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure.

6 F or every purpose and matter has its time and judgment, although the misery and wickedness of man lies heavily upon him.

For there is a proper time and procedure for every delight, though a man’s trouble is heavy upon him.

7 F or he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how and when it will be?

If no one knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen?

8 T here is no man who has power over the spirit to retain the breath of life, neither has he power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in battle, neither will wickedness deliver those who are its possessors and given to it.

No man has authority to restrain the wind with the wind, or authority over the day of death; and there is no discharge in the time of war, and evil will not deliver those who practice it.

9 A ll this have I seen while applying my mind to every work that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one man has power over another to his own hurt or to the other man’s.

All this I have seen and applied my mind to every deed that has been done under the sun wherein a man has exercised authority over another man to his hurt.

10 A nd so I saw the wicked buried—those who had come and gone out of the holy place, and they are forgotten in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity (emptiness, falsity, vainglory, and futility)!

So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out from the holy place, and they are soon forgotten in the city where they did thus. This too is futility.

11 B ecause the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, the hearts of the sons of men are fully set to do evil.

Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil.

12 T hough a sinner does evil a hundred times and his days are prolonged, yet surely I know that it will be well with those who fear God, who revere and worship Him, realizing His continual presence.

Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life, still I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly.

13 B ut it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear and worship God.

But it will not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God.

14 H ere also is a futility that goes on upon the earth: there are righteous men who fare as though they were wicked, and wicked men who fare as though they were righteous. I say that this also is vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility)!

There is futility which is done on the earth, that is, there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked. On the other hand, there are evil men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I say that this too is futility.

15 T hen I commended enjoyment, because a man has no better thing under the sun than to eat and to drink and to be joyful, for that will remain with him in his toil through the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.

So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to be merry, and this will stand by him in his toils throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.

16 W hen I applied my mind to know wisdom and to see the business activity and the painful effort that take place upon the earth—how neither day nor night some men’s eyes sleep—

When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the task which has been done on the earth (even though one should never sleep day or night),

17 T hen I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun—because however much a man may toil in seeking, yet he will not find it out; yes, more than that, though a wise man thinks and claims he knows, yet will he not be able to find it out.

and I saw every work of God, I concluded that man cannot discover the work which has been done under the sun. Even though man should seek laboriously, he will not discover; and though the wise man should say, “I know,” he cannot discover.