The Same Fate'Death'Awaits Everyone
1 So I reflected on all this, attempting to clear it all up. I concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their works, are in the hand of God; whether a person will be loved or hated -- no one knows what lies ahead.
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.
1 For I have taken all this to my heart and explain (a)it that righteous men, wise men, and their deeds are (A)in the hand of God. (B)Man does not know whether it will be (C)love or hatred; anything (b)awaits him.
1 Indeed, I took all this to heart and explained it all: the righteous, the wise, and their works are in God’s hands.(A)People don’t know whether to expect love or hate. Everything lies ahead of them.
1 In light of all of this, I committed myself to explain it this way: the righteous and the wise, along with everything they do, are in the hands of God. Furthermore, as to love and hate, no human being knows everything concerning them.
2 Everyone shares the same fate -- the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the ceremonially clean and unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. What happens to the good person, also happens to the sinner; what happens to those who make vows, also happens to those who are afraid to make vows.
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.
2 (D)It is the same for all. There is (E)one fate for the righteous and for the wicked; for the good, for the clean and for the unclean; for the man who offers a sacrifice and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the good man is, so is the sinner; as the swearer is, so is the one who (c)is afraid to swear.
2 Everything is the same for everyone:(B) there is one fate for the righteous and the wicked,(C) for the good and the bad,(a) for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not sacrifice. As it is for the good, so it is for the sinner; as for the one who takes an oath, so for the one who fears an oath.
2 Everyone shares the same experience: a single event affects the righteous, the wicked, the good, the clean, the unclean, whoever sacrifices, and whoever does not sacrifice. As it is with the good person, so also it is with the sinner; as it is with someone who takes an oath, so also it is with someone who fears taking an oath.
Where There's Life, There's Hope
3 This is the unfortunate fact about everything that happens on earth: the same fate awaits everyone. In addition to this, the hearts of all people are full of evil, and there is folly in their hearts during their lives -- then they die.
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.
3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is (F)one fate for all men. Furthermore, (G)the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and (H)insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they go to the dead.
3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: there is one fate for everyone. In addition, the hearts of people are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live(D)—after that they go to the dead.
3 There is a tragedy that infects everything that happens on earth: a common event happens to everyone. In fact, the hearts of human beings are full of evil. Madness remains in their hearts while they live, and afterwards they join the dead.
Death Deprives Humans Of Everything In Life
4 But whoever is among the living has hope; a live dog is better than a dead lion.
4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
4 For whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion.
4 But there is hope for whoever is joined(b) with all the living, since a live dog is better than a dead lion.
4 "While someone is among the living, hope remains," because "it is better to be a living dog than to be a dead lion."
5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead do not know anything; they have no further reward -- and even the memory of them disappears.
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.
5 For the living know they will die; but the dead (I)do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their (J)memory is forgotten.
5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything. There is no longer a reward for them because the memory of them is forgotten.(E)
5 At least the living know they will die, but the dead know nothing; they no longer have a reward, since memory about them has been forgotten.
6 What they loved, as well as what they hated and envied, perished long ago, and they no longer have a part in anything that happens on earth.
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.
6 Indeed their love, their hate and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a (K)share in all that is done under the sun.
6 Their love, their hate, and their envy have already disappeared, and there is no longer a portion for them in all that is done under the sun.
6 Furthermore, their love, their hate, and their envy have been long lost. Never again will they have a part in what happens on earth.
Enjoy Life While It Lasts
7 Go, eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, because God has already approved your works.
7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
7 Go then, (L)eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works.
7 Go, eat your bread with pleasure, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already accepted your works.(F)
7 Go ahead and enjoy your meals as you eat. Drink your wine with a joyful attitude, because God already has approved your actions.
9 Enjoy life with your beloved wife during all the days of your fleeting life that God has given you on earth during all your fleeting days; for that is your reward in life and in your burdensome work on earth.
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 Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your (d)(O)fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun(e); for this is your (P)reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.
9 Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your fleeting(c) life,(H) which has been given to you under the sun, all your fleeting days. For that is your portion in life and in your struggle(I) under the sun.
9 Find joy in living with your wife whom you love every day of your pointless life that God gave you on earth, because this is your life assignment and your work to do on earth.
Work With All Your Might
10 Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, because there is neither work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave, the place where you will eventually go.
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.
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, (Q)do it with all your might; for there is no (R)activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in (S)Sheol where you are going.
10 Whatever your hands find to do, do with all your strength,(J) because there is no work, planning, knowledge, or wisdom(K) in Sheol where you are going.
10 Whatever the activity in which you engage, do it with all your ability, because there is no work, no planning, no learning, and no wisdom in the next world where you're going.
The Injustice Of Time And Chance
11 Again, I observed this on the earth: the race is not always won by the swiftest, the battle is not always won by the strongest; prosperity does not always belong to those who are the wisest, wealth does not always belong to those who are the most discerning, nor does success always come to those with the most knowledge -- for time and chance may overcome them all.
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.
11 I again saw under the sun that the (T)race is not to the swift and the (U)battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor (V)wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and (W)chance overtake them all.
11 Again I saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift,(L) or the battle to the strong,(M) or bread to the wise, or riches to the discerning, or favor to the skillful; rather, time and chance happen to all of them.
11 I considered and observed on earth the following: The race doesn't go to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor food to the wise, nor wealth to the smart, nor recognition to the skilled. Instead, timing and circumstances meet them all.
12 Surely, no one knows his appointed time! Like fish that are caught in a deadly net, and like birds that are caught in a snare -- just like them, all people are ensnared at an unfortunate time that falls upon them suddenly.
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.
12 Moreover, man does not (X)know his time: like fish caught in a treacherous net and (Y)birds trapped in a snare, so the sons of men are (Z)ensnared at an evil time when it (AA)suddenly falls on them.
12 For man certainly does not know his time:(N) like fish caught in a cruel net or like birds caught in a trap,(O) so people are trapped in an evil time(P) as it suddenly falls on them.(Q)
12 In addition, no human being knows his time: Like fish captured in a cruel net, or as birds caught in a snare, so also are human beings caught by bad timing that surprises them.
Wisdom'Although Vulnerable'Is Superior To Power
13 This is what I also observed about wisdom on earth, and it is a great burden to me:
13 This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:
13 I have observed that this also is wisdom under the sun, and it is significant to me:
13 I also observed this example of wisdom on earth, and it seemed important to me:
14 There was once a small city with a few men in it, and a mighty king attacked it, besieging it and building strong siege works against it.
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:
14 There (AB)was a small city with few men in it and a great king came to it, surrounded it and constructed large siegeworks against it.
14 There was a small city with few men in it. A great king came against it, surrounded it, and built large siege works against it.
14 There was a little city with few men in it. A great king came against it, surrounded it, and built massive siege ramps against it.
15 However, a poor but wise man lived in the city, and he could have delivered the city by his wisdom, but no one listened to that poor man.
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.
15 But there was found in it a (AC)poor wise man and he (g)delivered the city (AD)by his wisdom. Yet (AE)no one remembered that poor man.
15 Now a poor wise man was found in the city,(R) and he delivered the city by his wisdom.(S) Yet no one remembered that poor man.
15 Now there was found within it a poor, but wise man. He delivered the city by his wisdom, but not one person remembered that poor man.
16 So I concluded that wisdom is better than might, but a poor man's wisdom is despised; no one ever listens to his advice.
16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
16 So I said, “(AF)Wisdom is better than strength.” But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded.
16 And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength,(T) but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”
16 So I concluded, "Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless, the wisdom of the poor is rejected his words are never heard."
Wisdom'Although Vulnerable'Is Superior To Folly
17 The words of the wise are heard in quiet, more than the shouting of a ruler is heard among fools.
17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
17 The (AG)words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.
17 The calm words of the wise are heededmore than the shouts of a ruler over fools.
17 The softly spoken words of the wise are to be heard rather than the shouts of a ruler of fools.