Parallel Bible results for "ecclesiastes 8"

Ecclesiastes 8

The Complete Jewish Bible CJB

1 ho can be compared with a wise person? Who else knows what a thing means? Wisdom lights up the face and softens a grim appearance.

2 Keep the king's command because of the oath before God.

3 Don't be quick to leave his presence, and don't persist in doing what is wrong, for he does whatever he pleases.

4 After all, his word is final; who can challenge him, "Why are you doing that?"

5 Whoever obeys his command will never come to harm, and the wise person will know the right time and judgment.

6 For to everything there is a right time and a judgment, since people are greatly troubled

7 by uncertainty over the future; even when the event takes place, who will tell them about it?

8 Just as no one has the power to keep the wind from blowing, so no one has power over the day of death. If one is drafted to fight a war, one can't send a substitute; likewise the wicked won't escape death by their wickedness.

9 All this I have seen, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun when one person tyrannizes another.

10 Thus I saw the wicked buried; they had even come from the Holy Place. But those who had acted uprightly were forgotten in the city. This too is a futile thing;

11 because the punishment decreed for an evil act is not promptly carried out; therefore people who plan to do evil are strengthened in their intentions.

12 For a sinner can do evil a hundred times and still live a long life; although I know that in the end things will go well with those who fear God, because they fear him.

13 But things will not go well with the wicked; and, like a shadow, he will not prolong his days; because he doesn't fear God.

14 There is something frustrating that occurs on earth, namely, that there are righteous people to whom things happen as if they were doing wicked deeds; and, again, there are wicked people to whom things happen as if they were doing righteous deeds. I say that this too is pointless.

15 So I recommend enjoyment - a person can do nothing better under the sun than eat, drink and enjoy himself; this is what should accompany him as he does his work for as long as God gives him to live under the sun.

16 When I applied myself to gain wisdom and to observe how people occupy themselves on earth, that people's eyes don't see sleep either by day or by night,

17 then, on looking over all of God's work, I realized that it is impossible to grasp all the activity taking place under the sun; because even if a person works hard at searching it out, he won't grasp it; and even if a wise person thinks he knows it, he still won't be able to grasp it.

The Message Bible MSG

1 here's nothing better than being wise, Knowing how to interpret the meaning of life. Wisdom puts light in the eyes, And gives gentleness to words and manners.

2 Do what your king commands; you gave a sacred oath of obedience.

3 Don't worryingly second-guess your orders or try to back out when the task is unpleasant. You're serving his pleasure, not yours.

4 The king has the last word. Who dares say to him, "What are you doing?"

5 Carrying out orders won't hurt you a bit; the wise person obeys promptly and accurately.

6 Yes, there's a right time and way for everything, even though, unfortunately, we miss it for the most part.

7 It's true that no one knows what's going to happen, or when. Who's around to tell us?

8 No one can control the wind or lock it in a box. No one has any say-so regarding the day of death. No one can stop a battle in its tracks. No one who does evil can be saved by evil.

9 All this I observed as I tried my best to understand all that's going on in this world. As long as men and women have the power to hurt each other, this is the way it is.

10 One time I saw wicked men given a solemn burial in holy ground. When the people returned to the city, they delivered flowery eulogies - and in the very place where wicked acts were done by those very men! More smoke. Indeed.

11 ecause the sentence against evil deeds is so long in coming, people in general think they can get by with murder.

12 Even though a person sins and gets by with it hundreds of times throughout a long life, I'm still convinced that the good life is reserved for the person who fears God, who lives reverently in his presence,

13 and that the evil person will not experience a "good" life. No matter how many days he lives, they'll all be as flat and colorless as a shadow - because he doesn't fear God.

14 Here's something that happens all the time and makes no sense at all: Good people get what's coming to the wicked, and bad people get what's coming to the good. I tell you, this makes no sense. It's smoke.

15 So, I'm all for just going ahead and having a good time - the best possible. The only earthly good men and women can look forward to is to eat and drink well and have a good time - compensation for the struggle for survival these few years God gives us on earth.

16 When I determined to load up on wisdom and examine everything taking place on earth, I realized that if you keep your eyes open day and night without even blinking,

17 you'll still never figure out the meaning of what God is doing on this earth. Search as hard as you like, you're not going to make sense of it. No matter how smart you are, you won't get to the bottom of it.