KJ3 Literal Translation
Ecclesiastes 9
Like things happen to good and bad. There is a necessity of death to men. Jehovah's providence rules over all. Wisdom is better than strength.
1For all this I gave to my heart, even to clear up all this, that the righteous ones and the wise ones and their works are in the hand of God. Also love, also hatred, man does not know all that is before them.
2All that happens it is to all; one event to the righteous one, and to the wicked one; to the good one, and to the clean one, and to the unclean one; to him who sacrifices, and to him who does not sacrifice. As is the good one, so is the sinner; he who swears is as he that fears an oath.
3This is an evil event among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event to all. Yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil purpose, and madness is in their heart while they are alive, and after that they go to those who died.
4For to him who is chosen to be among all the living, there is hope. For a living dog is better than a lion that died.
5For the living know that they shall die; but the ones having died do not know anything, and not to them is any more a reward, for their memory is forgotten.
6Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has now perished; and not there is a portion for them any more forever in all that is done under the sun.
7Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a good heart, for God now is pleased with your works.
8Let your garments be white at every time; and let your head lack no oil.
9Look on life with the wife whom you love all the days of the life of your vanity, which He gave you under the sun, all the days of your vanity. For that is your portion in this life, and in your labor which you as a laborer do under the sun.
10All that your hand finds to do, do it with your strength. For there is no work, or planning, or knowledge, or wisdom, in Sheol, there where you go.
11I turned back and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift ones, and the battle not to the mighty ones, and not even bread to the wise one, and not even riches to discerning ones; and not even favor to ones knowing. For time and occurrence happen to them all.
12For man also does not know his time. As the fish that are caught in the evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the trap, like these are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them.
13This wisdom I saw also under the sun, and it is great to me:
14there was a little city, and few men in it. And a great king came against it, and turned around it, and built huge siege works against it.
15And there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom saved the city. Yet no man remembered that poor man!
16And I said, Wisdom is better than strength; but the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
17The words of wise ones are heard in quiet, more than the cry of one who rules among fools.
18Wisdom is better than weapons of conflict; but one sinner destroys much good.
Read Ecclesiastes 9 in the interactive reader with the Hebrew and Greek side by side, audio narration, and the TWOT dictionary.
Open in the reader