New King James Version NKJV
Hebrew Names Version HNV
1 For I considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all: that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. People know neither love nor hatred by anything they see before them.
1
For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn't know it; all is before them.
2 All things come alike to all: One event happens to the righteous and the wicked; To the good, the clean, and the unclean; To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; He who takes an oath as he who fears an oath.
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All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn't sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath, as he who fears an oath.
3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
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This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes 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.
4 But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
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For to him who is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5 For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten.
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For the living know that they will die, but the dead don't know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
6 Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; Nevermore will they have a share In anything done under the sun.
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Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.
7 Go, eat your bread with joy, And drink your wine with a merry heart; For God has already accepted your works.
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Go your way -- eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works.
8 Let your garments always be white, And let your head lack no oil.
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Let your garments be always white, and don't let your head lack oil.
9 Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun.
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Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity: for that is your portion in life, and in your labor in which you labor under the sun.
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
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Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in She'ol, where you are going.
11 I returned and saw under the sun that-- The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.
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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 favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.
12 For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, Like birds caught in a snare, So the sons of men are snared in an evil time, When it falls suddenly upon them.
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For man also doesn't know his time. As the fish that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them.
13 This wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and it seemed great to me:
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I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to me.
14 There was a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great snares around it.
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There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.
15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man.
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Now a poor wise man was found in it, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
16 Then I said: "Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, And his words are not heard.
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Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
17 Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard Rather than the shout of a ruler of fools.
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The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules among fools.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war; But one sinner destroys much good."
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Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.