9:1 So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no man knows whether love or hate awaits him.
9:2 All share a common destiny–the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. As it is with the good man, so with the sinner; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them.
9:3 This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead.
9:4 Anyone who is among the living has hope–even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!
9:5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten.
9:6 Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.
9:7 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do.
9:8 Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil.
9:9 Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun–all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.
9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
9:11 I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.
9:12 Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.
9:13 I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me:
9:14 There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siegeworks against it.
9:15 Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man.
9:16 So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.
9:17 The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
9:18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.
9:1 For all this I laid on my heart, so that I might explain all this, that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God; man knows neither love nor hate; all is before them.
9:2 All things are alike to all: One thing happens to the righteous man and to the wicked man, to the good and to the clean and to the unclean, to him who sacrifices and to him who does not sacrifice; as the good man is, so is the sinner; he who swears is like him who fears an oath.
9:3 This is an evil among all that is done under the sun, that one thing happens to all; moreover the heart of the children of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live; and after that, they go to the dead.
9:4 For there is hope for whoever is joined to all the living ? surely a living dog is better than a dead lion ?
9:5 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.
9:6 Their love, their hate, and their envy have already perished, nor do they have some portion yet in all that is done under the sun forever.
9:7 Go; eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works.
9:8 Let your garments always be white, and do not let oil be lacking on your head.
9:9 Enjoy life with the wife whom you have loved all the days of your life of vanity which He has given you under the sun, all the days of your vanity; for this is your portion in life and in your labor by which you have labored under the sun.
9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do with all your might; for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, where you are going.
9:11 Again I saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor is the battle to the mighty, nor is even the bread to the wise, nor are riches to those who have understanding, nor is favor to those who have knowledge; but time and chance happen to them all.
9:12 For also man does not know his time: Like fish that are caught in a deadly net and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of men are ensnared in an evil time when it falls suddenly on them.
9:13 This also I have seen as wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me.
9:14 There was a small city with a few men in it; and a great king came against it and surrounded it and built great siegeworks against it.
9:15 And in it there was found a poor wise man, and he delivered the city by his wisdom; yet no one remembered that poor man.
9:16 So I said, Wisdom is better than strength; but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heard.
9:17 The words of the wise man spoken quietly are heeded more than the shouting of a ruler among fools.
9:18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.