Ecc 8 | ASV | e4.org | Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.

‏ Ecclesiastes 8

1 Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the ^▼▼1 hardness of his face is changed. ^{▼▼1) Heb strength} 2 I counsel thee , Keep the king’s command, and that in regard of the oath of God. 3 Be not hasty to go out of his presence; persist not in an evil thing: for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him. 4 For the king’s word hath power; and who may say unto him, What doest thou? 5 Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man’s heart discerneth time and judgment:

6 for to every ^▼▼1 purpose there is a time and judgment; because the ^▼▼2 misery of man is great upon him: ^{▼▼1) Or matter 2) Or evil} 7 for he knoweth not that which shall be; ^▼▼1 for who can tell him how it shall be? ^{▼▼1) Or for even when it cometh to pass, who shall declare it unto him?} 8 There is no man that hath power over the ^▼▼1 spirit to retain the ^▼▼1 spirit; neither hath he power over the day of death; and there is no discharge ^▼▼2 in war: neither shall wickedness deliver him that is given to it. ^{▼▼1) Or wind 2) Or in battle}

9 All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: ^▼▼1 there is a time wherein one man hath power over another ^▼▼2 to his hurt. ^{▼▼1) Or what time one man had etc 2) Or to his own hurt} 10 So I saw the wicked buried, ^▼▼1 and they came to the grave ; and they that had done right went away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city: this also is vanity. ^{▼▼1) Or who had come and gone away from the holy place; and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done ; Or and men came and went etc} 11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is ^▼▼1 fully set in them to do evil. ^{▼▼1) Or emboldened} 12 Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and prolong his days , yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that fear before him: 13 but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth, that there are righteous men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity. 15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be joyful: ^▼▼1 for that shall abide with him in his labor all the days of his life which God hath given him under the sun. ^{▼▼1) Or and that this should accompany him} 16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the ^▼▼1 business that is done upon the earth ^▼▼2 (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes), ^{▼▼1) Or travail 2) Or how that neither by day nor by night do men see sleep with their eyes} 17 then I beheld all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because however much a man labor to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea moreover, though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.