1 W ho is like the wise man? And who understands the meaning of anything? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine. The hard look on his face is changed. Obey the King

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 countenance is changed.

2 I say, “Obey the words of the king because of the promise you made to God.

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

3 D o not be in a hurry to leave him. Do not join in wrong-doing, for he will do whatever he pleases.”

Be not panic-stricken and hasty to get out of his presence. Persist not in an evil thing, for he does whatever he pleases.

4 S ince the king’s word is powerful, who will say to him, “What are you doing?”

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

5 H e who obeys the king’s law will have no trouble, for a wise heart knows the right time and way.

Whoever observes the command will experience no harm, and a wise man’s mind will know both when and what to do.

6 F or there is a right time and way for everything, even if a man’s trouble is heavy upon him.

For every purpose and matter has its time and judgment, although the misery and wickedness of man lies heavily upon him.

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

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

8 N o man has the right and power to hold back the wind with the wind, or power over the day of his death. No man is free to leave in the time of war. And sin will not take the sinner out of trouble.

There 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.

9 A ll this I have seen while thinking about every work that has been done under the sun. There is a time when one man has power over another man and makes him suffer. Death Comes to Everyone

All 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.

10 T hen I saw the sinful buried, who used to go in and out of the holy place. They are soon forgotten in the city where they did this. This also is for nothing.

And 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)!

11 B ecause a sinful act is not punished in a hurry, so the hearts of the sons of men are given completely over to sin.

Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, the hearts of the sons of men are fully set to do evil.

12 E ven though a sinner does sinful things a hundred times and lives a long time, still I know that it will be well for those who fear God, and let others know they fear God.

Though 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.

13 B ut it will not go well for the sinful man. His days will not be long like a shadow, because he does not fear God.

But 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.

14 T here is something that is of no use on the earth: There are right and good men who have the same thing happen to them that happens to those who do sinful things. And there are sinful men who have the same thing happen to them that happens to those who are right and good. I say this also is for nothing.

Here 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)!

15 S o I say a man should enjoy himself. For there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat and drink and be happy. For this will be with him in his work through the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.

Then 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.

16 I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the work which has been done on the earth, not sleeping day or night.

When 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—

17 A nd I saw all the work of God and knew that man cannot even think of all that is done under the sun. Even if man tries hard to find out, he will not be able to. Even if a wise man says he knows, he does not.

Then 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.