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 hardness of his face 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 thee, Keep the king's command, and that in regard of the oath of God.

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

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

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 king's word hath power; and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

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

5 W hoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart discerneth time and judgment:

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

6 f or to every purpose there is a time and judgment; because the misery of man is great 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 knoweth not that which shall be; for who can tell him how it shall be?

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

8 T here is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in war: neither shall wickedness deliver him that is 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, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man hath power over another to his hurt.

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 S o I saw the wicked buried, and they came to the grave; and they that had done right went away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city: this also is vanity.

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 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 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 do evil a hundred times, and prolong his days, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that fear before him:

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

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 mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be joyful: for that shall abide with him in his labor all the days of his life which God hath given 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 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),

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 beheld all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because however much a man labor to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea moreover, though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.

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.