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 thing? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.

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

I say, “Keep the king’s command!” because of the oath to 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.

Don’t be hasty to go out of his presence. Don’t persist in an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him,

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

for the king’s word is supreme. Who can 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.

Whoever keeps the commandment shall not come to harm, and his wise heart will know the 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 time and procedure for every purpose, although the misery of man is heavy on him.

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

For he doesn’t know that which will be; for who can tell him how it will be?

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.

There is no man who has power over the spirit to contain the spirit; neither does he have power over the day of death. There is no discharge in war; neither shall wickedness 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 have I seen, and applied 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 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 I saw the wicked buried. Indeed they came also from holiness. They went and were forgotten in the city where they did this. This also is vanity.

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 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 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.

Though a sinner commits crimes a hundred times, and lives long, yet surely I know that it will be better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him.

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 shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he lengthen days like a shadow; because he doesn’t 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 a vanity which is done on the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked. Again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

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.

Then I commended mirth, because a man has no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be joyful: for that will accompany him in his labor all 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 applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on the earth (for also there is that neither day nor night sees sleep with his eyes),

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.

then I saw all the work of God, that man can’t find out the work that is done under the sun, because however much a man labors to seek it out, yet he won’t find it. Yes even though a wise man thinks he can comprehend it, he won’t be able to find it.