1 W ho 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.

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

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

3 D o not be in a hurry to leave him. Do not join in an evil matter, for he will do 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 S ince the word of the king is authoritative, who will say to him, “What are you doing?”

for the king’s word is supreme. Who can say to him, “What are you doing?”

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

Whoever keeps the commandment shall not come to harm, and his wise heart will know the time and procedure.

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

For there is a time and procedure for every purpose, although the misery of man is heavy on him.

7 I f no one knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen?

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

8 N o 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.

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 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.

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 S o 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.

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 deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully 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 A lthough 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.

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 for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear 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 T here 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.

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 S o 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.

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 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),

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 a nd 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.

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.