THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES

Ecclesiastes Chapter 9

1 ¶ I pondered all this in my heart and came to understand, that the righteous, and the wise, together with all they do, are in the hand of God: whether they are loved or hated, no one knows what is before them.

2 Anything may happen to anyone: but there is one event that happens to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and the bad, to the clean and the unclean; to one who sacrifices, and one who does not sacrifice: as it is for the good, so it is for the sinner; and for one who swears, as for one who fears to take an oath.

3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one thing that happens to all: moreover human minds are full of wickedness, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

4 ¶ But all who join the living have hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5 For the living know that they will die: but the dead do not know anything, nor do they have any further reward; for their memory is forgotten.

6 Also their love, their hatred, and their envy, is now gone; and never again will they have a part in anything done under the sun.

7 Go your way, eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already approved what you are doing.

8 Let your garments always be white; and let your head lack no ointment.

9 Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life, which God 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 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, or planning, or knowledge, or skill, in the grave, where you go.

11 ¶ Again I saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, or the battle to the strong, or bread to the wise, or riches to the discerning, or favor to the skillful; but time and chance happen to all of them.

12 For a man does not know his time: like fish that are caught in an evil net, or like birds that are caught in a snare; the sons of men are trapped in an evil time, when calamity falls suddenly upon them.

13 ¶ I have also seen this bit of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed significant to me:

14 There was a small city, that had few men in it; and a great king came against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

15 Now in that city there was found a poor but wise man, and by his wisdom he saved the town; yet no one remembered that poor man.

16 Then I said, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are ignored.

17 The quiet words of the wise are heeded more than the shouts of the foremost among fools.

18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one evildoer destroys much good.