1 F or all this I took to heart, exploring and examining it all, how the righteous (the upright, in right standing with God) and the wise and their works are in the hands of God. Whether it is to be love or hatred no man knows; all that is before them.

But all this I have laid unto my heart, so as to clear up the whole of this, that the righteous and the wise, and their works, in the hand of God, neither love nor hatred doth man know, the whole before them.

2 A ll things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good and to the clean and to the unclean; to him who sacrifices and to him who does not sacrifice. As is the good man, so is the sinner; and he who swears is as he who fears and shuns an oath.

The whole as to the whole; one event is to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean, and to him who is sacrificing, and to him who is not sacrificing; as the good, so the sinner, he who is swearing as he who is fearing an oath.

3 T his evil is in all that is done under the sun: one fate comes to all. Also the hearts of men are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

This an evil among all that hath been done under the sun, that one event to all, and also the heart of the sons of man is full of evil, and madness in their heart during their life, and after it -- unto the dead.

4 b ut he who is joined to all the living has hope—for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

But him who is joined unto all the living there is confidence, for to a living dog it better than to the dead lion.

5 F or the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.

For the living know that they die, and the dead know not anything, and there is no more to them a reward, for their remembrance hath been forgotten.

6 T heir love and their hatred and their envy have already perished; neither have they any more a share in anything that is done under the sun.

Their love also, their hatred also, their envy also, hath already perished, and they have no more a portion to the age in all that hath been done under the sun.

7 G o your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already accepted your works.

Go, eat with joy thy bread, and drink with a glad heart thy wine, for already hath God been pleased with thy works.

8 L et your garments be always white, and let your head not lack oil.

At all times let thy garments be white, and let not perfume be lacking on thy head.

9 L ive joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun—all the days of futility. For that is your portion in this life and in your work at which you toil under the sun.

See life with the wife whom thou hast loved, all the days of the life of thy vanity, that He hath given to thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity, for it thy portion in life, even of thy labour that thou art labouring at under the sun.

10 W hatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol (the place of the dead), where you are going.

All that thy hand findeth to do, with thy power do, for there is no work, and device, and knowledge, and wisdom in Sheol whither thou art going.

11 I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong, neither is bread to the wise nor riches to men of intelligence and understanding nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.

I have turned so as to see under the sun, that not to the swift the race, nor to the mighty the battle, nor even to the wise bread, nor even to the intelligent wealth, nor even to the skilful grace, for time and chance happen with them all.

12 F or man also knows not his time: as the fishes are taken in an evil net, and as the birds are caught in the snare, so are the sons of men snared in an evil time when falls suddenly upon them.

For even man knoweth not his time; as fish that are taken hold of by an evil net, and as birds that are taken hold of by a snare, like these the sons of man snared at an evil time, when it falleth upon them suddenly.

13 T his wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great to me:

This also I have seen: wisdom under the sun, and it is great to me.

14 T here was a little city with few men in it. And a great king came against it and besieged it and built great bulwarks against it.

A little city, and few men in it, and a great king hath come unto it, and hath surrounded it, and hath built against it great bulwarks;

15 B ut there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no man remembered that poor man.

and there hath been found in it a poor wise man, and he hath delivered the city by his wisdom, and men have not remembered that poor man!

16 B ut I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heeded.

And I said, `Better wisdom than might, and the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.' --

17 T he words of wise men heard in quiet are better than the shouts of him who rules among fools.

The words of the wise in quiet are heard, More than the cry of a ruler over fools.

18 W isdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Better wisdom than weapons of conflict, And one sinner destroyeth much good!