1 W ho 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.

Who 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

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

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

3 D on’t be hasty to go out of his presence. Don’t persist in an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8 T here 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.

No 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.

9 A ll 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.

All 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

10 S o 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.

Then 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.

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

12 T hough 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.

Even 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.

13 B ut it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he lengthen days like a shadow; because he doesn’t fear God.

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

14 T here 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.

There 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.

15 T hen 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.

So 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.

16 W hen 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),

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

17 t hen 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.

And 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.