Revised Standard Version RSV
New International Version NIV
7 Go, eat your bread with enjoyment, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already approved what you do.
7
Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.
8 Let your garments be always white; let not oil be lacking on your head.
8
Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil.
9 Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life which he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun.
9
Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.
10
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
11 Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to the men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.
11
I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.
12 For man does not know his time. Like fish which are taken in an evil net, and like birds which are caught in a snare, so the sons of men are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.
12
Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so people are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.
13 I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me.
13
I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me:
14 There was a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it.
14
There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it.
15 But there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man.
15
Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man.
16 But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heeded.
16
So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.
17 The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.
17
The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.