1 F or I have taken all this to my heart and explain it that righteous men, wise men, and their deeds are in the hand of God. Man does not know whether it will be love or hatred; anything awaits him.

For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it be love or hatred, man knoweth it not; all is before them.

2 I t is the same for all. There is one fate for the righteous and for the wicked; for the good, for the clean and for the unclean; for the man who offers a sacrifice and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the good man is, so is the sinner; as the swearer is, so is the one who is afraid to swear.

All 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 that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not; as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

3 T his is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all men. Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they go to the dead.

This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

4 F or whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion.

For to him that is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5 F or the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten.

For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

6 I ndeed their love, their hate and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun.

As well their love, as their hatred and their envy, is perished long ago; neither have they any more a portion for ever in anything that is done under the sun.

7 G o then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works.

Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God hath already accepted thy works.

8 L et your clothes be white all the time, and let not oil be lacking on your head.

Let thy garments be always white; and let not thy head lack oil.

9 E njoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun. Whatever Your Hand Finds to Do

Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of thy life of vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all thy days of vanity: for that is thy portion in life, and in thy labor wherein thou laborest under the sun.

10 W hatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest.

11 I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and chance overtake them all.

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

12 M oreover, man does not know his time: like fish caught in a treacherous net and birds trapped in a snare, so the sons of men are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them.

For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

13 A lso this I came to see as wisdom under the sun, and it impressed me.

I have also seen wisdom under the sun on this wise, and it seemed great unto me:

14 T here was a small city with few men in it and a great king came to it, surrounded it and constructed large siegeworks against it.

There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.

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

Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.

16 S o I said, “ Wisdom is better than strength.” But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded.

Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

17 T he words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.

The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.

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

Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroyeth much good.