Ecclesiastes 8:1–10:20
Septuagint (Brenton) compared with World English Bible (Masoretic-derived)
Full reading for Day 242
Ecclesiastes 8:1–10:20 · Psalm 102 (MT: 103) · Proverbs 24:10–12 · 1 Corinthians 10:19–33
Showing Ecclesiastes 8:1 through 10:20
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Septuagint (Brenton)
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World English Bible
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1A man's wisdom will lighten his countenance; but a man of shameless countenance will be hated.
1Who is like the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.
2Observe the commandment of the king, and [that] because of the word of the oath of God.
2I say, “Keep the king’s command!” because of the oath to God.
3Be not hasty; thou shalt go forth out of his presence: stand not in an evil matter; for he will do whatsoever he shall please,
3Don’t be hasty to go out of his presence. Don’t persist in an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him,
4even as a king having power: and who will say to him, What doest thou?
4for the king’s word is supreme. Who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
5He that keeps the commandment shall not know an evil thing: and the heart of the wise knows the time of judgment.
5Whoever keeps the commandment shall not come to harm, and his wise heart will know the time and procedure.
6For to every thing there is time and judgment; for the knowledge of a man is great to him.
6For there is a time and procedure for every purpose, although the misery of man is heavy on him.
7For there is no one that knows what is going to be: for who shall tell him how it shall be?
7For he doesn’t know that which will be; for who can tell him how it will be?
8There is no man that has power over the spirit to retain the spirit; and there is no power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in the day of battle; neither shall ungodliness save her votary.
8There is no man who has power over the spirit to contain the spirit; neither does he have power over the day of death. There is no discharge in war; neither shall wickedness deliver those who practice it.
9So I saw all this , and I applied my heart to every work that has been done under the sun; all the things wherein man has power over man to afflict him.
9All this I have seen, and applied my mind to every work that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one man has power over another to his hurt.
10And then I saw the ungodly carried into the tombs, and [that] out of the holy place: and they departed, and were praised in the city, because they had done thus: thisalso is vanity.
10So I saw the wicked buried. Indeed they came also from holiness. They went and were forgotten in the city where they did this. This also is vanity.
11Because there is no contradiction made on the part of those who do evil quickly, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully determined in them to do evil.
11Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
12He that has sinned has done evil from that time, and long from beforehand: nevertheless I know, that it is well with them that fear God, that they may fear before him:
12Though a sinner commits crimes a hundred times, and lives long, yet surely I know that it will be better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him.
13but it shall not be well with the ungodly, and he shall not prolong his days, [which are] as a shadow; forasmuch as he fears not before God.
13But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he lengthen days like a shadow, because he doesn’t fear God.
14There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there are righteous persons to whom it happens according to the doing of the ungodly; and there are ungodly men, to whom it happens according to the doing of the just: I said, This is also vanity.
14There is a vanity which is done on the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked. Again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.
15Then I praised mirth, because there is no good for a man under the sun, but to eat, and drink, and be merry: and this shall attend him in his labour all the days of his life, which God has given him under the sun.
15Then I commended mirth, because a man has no better thing under the sun than to eat, to drink, and to be joyful: for that will accompany him in his labor all the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.
16Whereupon I set my heart to know wisdom, and to perceive the trouble that was wrought upon the earth: for there is that neither by day nor night sees sleep with his eyes.
16When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on the earth (even though eyes see no sleep day or night),
17And I beheld all the works of God, that a man shall not be able to discover the work which is wrought under the sun; whatsoever things a man shall endeavour to seek, however a man may labour to seek it , yet he shall not find it; yea, how much soever a wise man may speak of knowing it, he shall not be able to find it: for I applied all this to my heart, and my heart has seen all this.
17then I saw all the work of God, that man can’t find out the work that is done under the sun, because however much a man labors to seek it out, yet he won’t find it. Yes even though a wise man thinks he can comprehend it, he won’t be able to find it.
1[I saw] that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: yea, there is no man that knows either love or hatred, [though] all are before their face.
1For 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.
2Vanity is in all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good, and to the bad; both to the pure, and to the impure; both to him that sacrifices, and to him that sacrifices not: as is the good, so is the sinner: as is the swearer, even so is he that fears an oath.
2All 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.
3There is this evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yea, the heart of the sons of men is filled with evil, and madness is in their heart during their life, and after that [they go] to the dead.
3This 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.
4For who is he that has fellowship with all the living? there is hope [of him]: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
4For to him who is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5For the living will know that they shall die: but the dead know nothing, and there is no longer any reward to them; for their memory is lost.
5For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten.
6Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, have now perished ; yea, there is no portion for them any more for ever in all that is done under the sun.
6Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither do they any longer have a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.
7Go, eat thy bread with mirth, and drink thy wine with a joyful heart; for now God has favourably accepted thy works.
7Go your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works.
8Let thy garments be always white; and let not oil be wanting on thine head .
8Let your garments be always white, and don’t let your head lack oil.
9And see life with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which are given thee under the sun: for that is thy portion in thy life, and in thy labour wherein thou labourest under the sun.
9Live 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.
10Whatsoever thine hand shall find to do, do with all thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Hades whither thou goest.
10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going.
11I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor yet bread to the wise, nor yet wealth to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of knowledge; for time and chance will happen to them all.
11I 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.
12For surely man also knows not his time: as fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as birds that are caught in a snare; even thus the sons of men are snared at an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them.
12For 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.
13This I also saw [to be] wisdom under the sun , and it is great before me:
13I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to me.
14[suppose there were] a little city, and few men in it; and there should come against it a great king , and surround it, and build great mounds against it;
14There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.
15and should find in it a poor wise man , and he should save the city through his wisdom: yet no man would remember that poor man.
15Now a poor wise man was found in it, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
16And I said, Wisdom is better than power: yet the wisdom of the poor manis set at nought, and his words not listened to.
16Then I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
17The words of the wise are heard in quiet more than the cry of them that rule in folly.
17The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules among fools.
18Wisdom is better than weapons of war: and one sinner will destroy much good.
18Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.
1Pestilent flies will corrupt a preparation of sweet ointment: [and] a little wisdom is more precious than great glory of folly .
1Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to produce an evil odor; so does a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor.
2A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.
2A wise man’s heart is at his right hand, but a fool’s heart at his left.
3Yea, and whenever a fool walks by the way, his heart will fail him, and all that he thinks of is folly.
3Yes also when the fool walks by the way, his understanding fails him, and he says to everyone that he is a fool.
4If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for soothing will put an end to great offences.
4If the spirit of the ruler rises up against you, don’t leave your place; for gentleness lays great offenses to rest.
5There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, wherein an error has proceeded from the ruler.
5There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, the sort of error which proceeds from the ruler.
6The fool has been set in very high places, while rich men would sit in a low one.
6Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place.
7I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants on the earth.
7I have seen servants on horses, and princes walking like servants on the earth.
8He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and him that breaks down a hedge a serpent shall bite.
8He who digs a pit may fall into it; and whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.
9He that removes stones shall be troubled thereby; he that cleaves wood shall be endangered thereby.
9Whoever carves out stones may be injured by them. Whoever splits wood may be endangered by it.
10If the axe-head should fall off, then the man troubles his countenance, and he must put forth more strength: and [in that case] skill is of no advantage to a man.
10If the ax is blunt, and one doesn’t sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but skill brings success.
11If a serpent bite when there is no [charmer's] whisper, then there is no advantage to the charmer.
11If the snake bites before it is charmed, then is there no profit for the charmer’s tongue.
12The words of a wise mouth are gracious: but the lips of a fool will swallow him up.
12The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but a fool is swallowed by his own lips.
13The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly: and the end of his talk mischievous madness.
13The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
14A fool moreover multiplies words: man knows not what has been, nor what will be: who shall tell him what will come after him?
14A fool also multiplies words. Man doesn’t know what will be; and that which will be after him, who can tell him?
15The labour of fools will afflict them, [as that of one] who knows not to go to the city.
15The labor of fools wearies every one of them; for he doesn’t know how to go to the city.
16Woe to thee, O city, whose king is young, and thy princes eat in the morning!
16Woe to you, land, when your king is a child, and your princes eat in the morning!
17Blessed art thou, O land, whose king is a son of nobles, and whose princes shall eat seasonably, for strength, and shall not be ashamed.
17Happy are you, land, when your king is the son of nobles, and your princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!
18By slothful neglect a building will be brought low: and by idleness of the hands the house will fall to pieces.
18By slothfulness the roof sinks in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaks.
19Men prepare bread for laughter, and wine and oil that the living should rejoice: but to money all things will humbly yield obedience.
19A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes the life glad; and money is the answer for all things.
20Even in thy conscience, curse not the king; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry thy voice, and that which has wings shall report thy speech.
20Don’t curse the king, no, not in your thoughts; and don’t curse the rich in your bedroom, for a bird of the sky may carry your voice, and that which has wings may tell the matter.