1
Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man'swisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness[a] of his face shall be changed.
2
I counsel thee to keep the king'scommandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.
3
Be not hasty to go out of his sight:stand not in an evilthing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
4
Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
5
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evilthing: and a wise man'sheartdiscerneth both time and judgment.
6
Because to every purpose there istime and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.
7
For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?
8
There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge[b] in that war; neither shall wickednessdeliver those that are given to it.
9
All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one manruleth over another to his own hurt.
10
And so I saw the wickedburied, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.
11
Because sentence against an evilwork is not executedspeedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to doevil.
12
Though a sinnerdoevil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fearGod, which fearbefore him:
13
But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not beforeGod.
14
There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there bewicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.
15
Then I commendedmirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which Godgiveth him under the sun.
16
When I applied mine heart to knowwisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor nightseethsleep with his eyes:)
17
Then I beheld all the work of God, that a mancannot find out the work that is done under the sun:becausethough a manlabour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.