1 F or 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 is love or hatred, man doesn’t know it; all is before them.

For all this I took to heart, exploring and examining it all, how the righteous (the upright, in right standing with God) and the wise and their works are in the hands of God. Whether it is to be love or hatred no man knows; all that is before them.

2 A ll things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn’t sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath, as he who fears an oath.

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 who sacrifices and to him who does not sacrifice. As is the good man, so is the sinner; and he who swears is as he who fears and shuns an oath.

3 T his is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes 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.

This evil is in all that is done under the sun: one fate comes to all. Also the hearts of men are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

4 F or to him who is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

but he who is joined to all the living has hope—for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5 F or the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten.

For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.

6 A lso their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.

Their love and their hatred and their envy have already perished; neither have they any more a share in anything that is done under the sun.

7 G o your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works.

Go your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already accepted your works.

8 L et your garments be always white, and don’t let your head lack oil.

Let your garments be always white, and let your head not lack oil.

9 L ive joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity: for that is your portion in life, and in your labor in which you labor under the sun.

Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun—all the days of futility. For that is your portion in this life and in your work at which you toil under the sun.

10 W hatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol (the place of the dead), where you are going.

11 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 happen to them all.

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

12 F or man also doesn’t know his time. As the fish 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 falls suddenly on them.

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

13 I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to me.

This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great to me:

14 T here was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.

There was a little city with few men in it. And a great king came against it and besieged it and built great bulwarks against it.

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

But there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no man remembered that poor man.

16 T hen I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heeded.

17 T he words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules among fools.

The words of wise men heard in quiet are better than the shouts of him who rules 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 destroys much good.