Chapter 9

1 For I have taken all this to my heart and explain it ^F121 that righteous men, wise men, and their deeds are in ^R215 the hand of God. Man ^R216 does not know whether it will be love ^R217 or hatred; anything awaits ^F122 him. 2 It ^R218 is the same for all. There is one ^R219 fate for the righteous and for the wicked; for the good, for the clean and for the unclean; for the man who offers a sacrifice and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the good man is, so is the sinner; as the swearer is, so is the one who is ^F123 afraid to swear. 3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one ^R220 fate for all men. Furthermore, the ^R221 hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity ^R222 is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they go to the dead.

4 For whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion. 5 For the living know they will die; but the dead do ^R223 not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory ^R224 is forgotten. 6 Indeed their love, their hate and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share ^R225 in all that is done under the sun. 7 Go then, eat ^R226 your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works. 8 Let your clothes ^R227 be white all the time, and let not oil ^R228 be lacking on your head. 9 Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting ^{R229 F124} life which He has given to you under the sun; ^F125 for this is your reward ^R230 in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do ^R231 it with all your might; for there is no activity ^R232 or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol ^R233 where you are going.

11 I again saw under the sun that the race ^R234 is not to the swift and the battle ^R235 is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth ^R236 to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and chance ^R237 overtake them all. 12 Moreover, man does not know ^R238 his time: like fish caught in a treacherous net and birds ^R239 trapped in a snare, so the sons of men are ensnared ^R240 at an evil time when it suddenly ^R241 falls on them.

13 Also this I came to see as wisdom under the sun, and it ^F126 impressed me. 14 There was ^R242 a small city with few men in it and a great king came to it, surrounded it and constructed large siegeworks against it. 15 But there was found in it a poor ^R243 wise man and he delivered ^F127 the city by ^R244 his wisdom. Yet no ^R245 one remembered that poor man. 16 So I said, "Wisdom ^R246 is better than strength." But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded. 17 The words ^R247 of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. 18 Wisdom ^R248 is better than weapons of war, but one ^R249 sinner destroys much good.

Chapter 10

1 Dead flies make a perfumer's ^R250 oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor. 2 A wise man's heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man's ^R251 heart directs him toward the left. 3 Even when the fool walks along the road, his sense ^F128 is lacking and he demonstrates ^{R252 F129} to everyone that he is a fool.

4 If the ruler's temper ^F130 rises against you, do ^R253 not abandon your position, because composure ^R254 allays great offenses. 5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like an error which goes forth from the ruler-- 6 folly ^R255 is set in many exalted places while rich men sit in humble places. 7 I have seen slaves ^R256 riding on ^R257 horses and princes walking like slaves on the land. 8 He ^R258 who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent ^R259 may bite him who breaks through a wall. 9 He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them. 10 If the axe ^F131 is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert ^F132 more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success. 11 If the serpent bites before ^{R260 F133} being charmed, there is no profit for the charmer.

12 Words ^R261 from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool ^R262 consume him; 13 the beginning of his ^F134 talking is folly and the end of it ^F135 is wicked madness. ^R263 14 Yet the fool ^R264 multiplies words. No man knows what will happen, and who can tell him what ^R265 will come after him? 15 The toil of a ^F136 fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city.

16 Woe to you, O land, whose king ^R266 is a lad and whose princes feast ^F137 in the morning. 17 Blessed are you, O land, whose king is of nobility and whose princes eat at the appropriate time--for strength and not for drunkenness. ^R267 18 Through indolence ^R268 the rafters sag, and through slackness the house leaks. 19 Men prepare a meal for enjoyment, and wine ^R269 makes life merry, and money ^R270 is ^F138 the answer to everything. 20 Furthermore, in ^R271 your bedchamber do not curse ^R272 a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich man, for a bird of the heavens will carry the sound and the winged creature will make the matter known.

Chapter 11

1 Cast ^R273 your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will ^R273 find it after ^F139 many days. 2 Divide ^R274 your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune ^R275 may occur on the earth. 3 If the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies. ^F140 4 He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap. 5 Just as you do not know ^R276 the ^F141 path of the wind and how ^R277 bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant ^F142 woman, so you do not know ^R278 the activity of God who makes all things. 6 Sow your seed in ^R279 the morning and do not be ^F143 idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning ^F144 or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.

7 The light is pleasant, and it is good for the eyes to see ^R280 the sun. 8 Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice ^R281 in them all, and let him remember the days ^R282 of darkness, for they will be many. Everything that is to come will be futility. 9 Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses ^F145 of your heart and the desires ^{R283 F146} of your eyes. Yet know that God ^R284 will bring you to judgment for all these things. 10 So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain ^{R285 F147} from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.

Chapter 12

1 Remember ^R286 also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil ^R287 days come and the years draw near when you will say, "I have no delight in them"; 2 before the sun ^R288 and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain; 3 in the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and mighty men stoop, ^R289 the grinding ones stand idle because they are few, and those ^R290 who look through windows ^F148 grow dim; 4 and the doors on the street are shut as the sound ^R291 of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters ^R292 of song will sing ^F149 softly. 5 Furthermore, men ^F150 are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags himself along, and the caperberry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal home ^R293 while mourners ^R294 go about in the street. 6 Remember Him before the silver cord is broken ^F151 and the golden ^R295 bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; 7 then the dust ^R296 will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit ^{R297 F152} will return to God ^R298 who gave it.

8 "Vanity ^R299 of vanities," says the Preacher, "all is vanity!" 9 In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged many ^R300 proverbs. 10 The Preacher sought to find delightful ^R301 words and to write words ^R302 of truth correctly. 11 The words ^R303 of wise men are like goads, ^R304 and masters of these collections are like well-driven ^F153 nails; ^R305 they are given by one Shepherd. 12 But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing ^F154 of many ^R306 books is endless, and excessive devotion ^R307 to books is wearying to the body.

13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear ^R308 God and keep ^R309 His commandments, because this applies to every ^R310 person. 14 For God ^R311 will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.