Ecclesiastes 8:1-6

Wisdom is Valuable

1 Who [is] like the sage? Who knows [the] interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.
2 Keep [the] command of [the] king {because of your oath to God}.
3 Do not be terrified of his presence! Go at once and do not delay when a matter [is] unpleasant, for he can do anything that he desires.
4 Since the word of the king [is] supreme, no one can say to him, "What are you doing?"
5 Whoever obeys [his] command will not suffer disaster. The wise mind knows the [proper] time and the right [procedure].
6 For there is a [proper] time and right [procedure] for every matter, even though the trouble of man [weighs] heavy upon him.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. While MT reads "I [said], 'Keep [the] mouth of [the] king,'" the versions read "Keep [the] mouth of [the] king," which is adopted in the translation
  • [b]. Literally "because of the oath of God"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.