1 W ho as the wise? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? The wisdom of man causeth his face to 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 pray thee, the commandment of a king keep, even for the sake of the oath of God.

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

3 B e not troubled at his presence, thou mayest go, stand not in an evil thing, for all that he pleaseth he doth.

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

4 W here the word of a king power, and who saith to him, `What dost thou?'

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

5 W hoso is keeping a command knoweth no evil thing, and time and judgment the heart of the wise knoweth.

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

6 F or to every delight there is a time and a judgment, for the misfortune of man is great upon 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 knoweth not that which shall be, for when it shall be who declareth to him?

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

8 T here is no man ruling over the spirit to restrain the spirit, and there is no authority over the day of death, and there is no discharge in battle, and wickedness delivereth not its possessors.

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 I have seen so as to give my heart to every work that hath been done under the sun; a time that man hath ruled over man to his own evil.

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 A nd so I have seen the wicked buried, and they went in, even from the Holy Place they go, and they are forgotten in the city whether they had so done. This also 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 hath not been done an evil work speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of man is full within 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 is doing evil a hundred, and prolonging for it, surely also I know that there is good to those fearing God, who fear 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 A nd good is not to the wicked, and he doth not prolong days as a shadow, because he is not fearing before 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 that hath been done upon the earth, that there are righteous ones unto whom it is coming according to the work of the wicked, and there are wicked ones unto whom it is coming according to the work of the righteous. I have said that this also 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 A nd I have praised mirth because there is no good to man under the sun except to eat and to drink, and to rejoice, and it remaineth with him of his labour the days of his life that God hath given to 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 gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that hath been done on the earth, (for there is also a spectator in whose eyes sleep is not by day and by night),

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 considered all the work of God, that man is not able to find out the work that hath been done under the sun, because though man labour to seek, yet he doth not find; and even though the wise man speak of knowing he is not able to find.

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.