9:1 [I saw] that the righteous, and the
wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: yea, there is no man that
knows either love or hatred, [though] all are before their face.
9:2 Vanity is in all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the
wicked; to the good, and to the bad; both to the pure, and to the impure;
both to him that sacrifices, and to him that sacrifice not: as is the good,
so is the sinner: as is the swearer, even so is he that fears an oath.
9:3 There is this evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one
event to all: yea, the heart of the sons of men is filled with evil, and
madness is in their heart during their life, and after that [they go] to the
dead.
9:4 for who is he that has fellowship with all the living? there is hope [of
him]: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
9:5 For the living will know that they shall die: but the dead know nothing,
and there is no longer any reward to them; for their memory is lost.
9:6 also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, have now perished;
yea, there is no portion for them any more for ever in all that is done
under the sun.
9:7 Go, eat thy bread with mirth, and drink thy wine with a joyful heart;
for now God has favourably accepted thy works.
9:8 Let thy garments be always white; and let not oil be wanting on thine
head.
9:9 And see life with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of
thy vanity, which are given thee under the sun: for that is thy portion in
thy life, and in thy labour wherein thou labourest under the sun.
9:10 Whatsoever thine hand shall find to do, do with all thy might; for
there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Hades wither
thou goest.
9:11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift,
nor the battle to the strong, nor yet bread to the wise, nor yet wealth to
men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of knowledge; for time and
chance will happen to them all.
9:12 For surely man also knows not his time: as fishes that are taken in an
evil net, and as birds that are caught in a snare; even thus the sons of men
are snared at an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them.
9:13 This I also saw [to be] wisdom under the sun, and it is great before
me:
9:14 [suppose there were] a little city, and few men in it; and there should
come against it a great king, and surround it, and build great mounds
against it;
9:15 and should find in it a poor wise man, and he should save the city
through his wisdom: yet no man would remember that poor man.
9:16 And I said Wisdom is better than power: yet the wisdom of the poor man
is set at nought, and his words not listened to.
9:17 The words of the wise are heard in quiet more than the cry of them that
rule in folly.
9:18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: and one sinner will destroy much
good. |
9:1 For all this I considered in my heart
even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works,
are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is
before them.
9:2 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 that
sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the
sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
9:3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there
is one event unto all: yea, 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.
9:4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living
dog is better than a dead lion.
9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any
thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is
forgotten.
9:6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished;
neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done
under the sun.
9:7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry
heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
9:8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
9:9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of
thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy
vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou
takest under the sun.
9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is
no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou
goest.
9:11 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 favour to men of skill; but time and chance
happeneth to them all.
9:12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an
evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of
men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
9:13 This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto
me:
9:14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great
king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:
9:15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom
delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
9:16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor
man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
9:17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that
ruleth among fools.
9:18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much
good. |