1 Keep the Command of the King Who is like the wise man and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom illumines his face and causes his stern face to 8:1Or change beam.
2 Isay, “Keep the 8:2 Lit mouth command of the king because of the sworn oath 8:2 Lit of before God.
3 Do not be in a hurry to go from his presence. Do not stand in an evil matter, for he will do whatever he pleases.”
4 Since the word of the king is powerful, who will say to him, “What are you doing?”
5 He who keeps aroyalcommand experiences no evil thing, for a wise heart knows thepropertime and custom.
6 For there is apropertime and custom for every 8:6Lit delight matter, though a man’s trouble is multiplied upon him.
7 If no one knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen?
8 There is no man who has power to restrain the wind with the wind, and there is nonewho haspower over the day of death; and there is no discharge in the time of war, and wickedness will not provide escape to its masters.
9 All this I have seen and given my heart to every work that has been done under the sun wherein a man has power overanotherman to his calamity.
10 So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out from the holy place, and they aresoonforgotten in the city where they did thus. This too is vanity.
11 Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil.
12 Although a sinner does evil a hundredtimesand may prolong hislife, still I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear 8:12Lit before Him Him openly.
13 But it will not be well for the wicked man, and he will not prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear 8:13 Lit before Him God openly.
14 There is vanity which is done on the earth, that is, there are righteous men to whom it 8:14 Lit strikes happens according to the works of the wicked. On the other hand, there are wicked men to whom it 8:14 Lit strikes happens according to the works of the righteous. I say that this too is vanity.
15 So I laud gladness, for there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to 8:15Or be glad, cf.8:15a;3:12, 22; 5:19;Luke 12:19 be merry, and this will join with him in his laborthroughoutthe days of his life which God has given him under the sun.
16 When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the endeavor which has been done on the earth (even though one never sees sleep with his eyes day or night),
17 and I saw every work of God,I concludedthat man cannot find out the work which has been done under the sun. Even though man should seek laboriously, he will not finditout; and though the wise man should say, “I know,” he cannot finditout.