New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 All this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hate one does not know. Everything that confronts them
1
All this I took to heart, and my heart saw it all: that the upright and the wise and their works are in the hand of God; and men may not be certain if it will be love or hate; all is to no purpose before them.
2 is vanity, since the same fate comes to all, to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to those who sacrifice and those who do not sacrifice. As are the good, so are the sinners; those who swear are like those who shun an oath.
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Because to all there is one event, to the upright man and to the evil, to the clean and to the unclean, to him who makes an offering and to him who makes no offering; as is the good so is the sinner; he who takes an oath is as he who has fear of it.
3 This is an evil in all that happens under the sun, that the same fate comes to everyone. Moreover, the hearts of all are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
3
This is evil in all things which are done under the sun: that there is one fate for all, and the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; while they have life their hearts are foolish, and after that--to the dead.
4 But whoever is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
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For him who is joined to all the living there is hope; a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5 The living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no more reward, and even the memory of them is lost.
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The living are conscious that death will come to them, but the dead are not conscious of anything, and they no longer have a reward, because there is no memory of them.
6 Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished; never again will they have any share in all that happens under the sun.
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Their love and their hate and their envy are now ended; and they have no longer a part for ever in anything which is done under the sun.
7 Go, eat your bread with enjoyment, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has long ago approved what you do.
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Come, take your bread with joy, and your wine with a glad heart. God has taken pleasure in your works.
8 Let your garments always be white; do not let oil be lacking on your head.
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Let your clothing be white at all times, and let not your head be without oil.
9 Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that are given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun.
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Have joy with the woman of your love all the days of your foolish life which he gives you under the sun. Because that is your part in life and in your work which you do under the sun.
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do with your might; for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.
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Whatever comes to your hand to do with all your power, do it because there is no work, or thought, or knowledge, or wisdom in the place of the dead to which you are going.
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 skillful; but time and chance happen to them all.
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And again I saw under the sun that the reward goes not to him who is quick, or the fruits of war to the strong; and there is no bread for the wise, or wealth for men of learning, or respect for those who have knowledge; but time and chance come to all.
12 For no one can anticipate the time of disaster. Like fish taken in a cruel net, and like birds caught in a snare, so mortals are snared at a time of calamity, when it suddenly falls upon them.
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Even man has no knowledge of his time; like fishes taken in an evil net, or like birds taken by deceit, are the sons of men taken in an evil time when it comes suddenly on them.
13 I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me.
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This again I have seen under the sun as wisdom and it seemed great to me.
14 There was a little city with few people in it. A great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it.
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There was a little town and the number of its men was small, and there came a great king against it and made an attack on it, building works of war round about 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 poor man.
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Now there was in the town a poor, wise man, and he, by his wisdom, kept the town safe. But no one had any memory of that same poor man.
16 So I said, "Wisdom is better than might; yet the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heeded."
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Then I said, Wisdom is better than strength, but the poor man's wisdom is not respected, and his words are not given a hearing.
17 The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouting of a ruler among fools.
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The words of the wise which come quietly to the ear are noted more than the cry of a ruler among the foolish.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one bungler destroys much good.
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Wisdom is better than instruments of war, but one sinner is the destruction of much good.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, 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.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.