Ecclesiastes 6:1–8:15

aThere is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: 2 A man bto whom cGod hath given criches, dwealth, and chonour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God bgiveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease. 3 If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that ethe days of his years be many, and eehis soul be not filled with good, and also fthat he have no burial; I say, that gan untimely birth is better than he. 4 For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and hhis name shall be covered with darkness. 5 Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more irest than the other. 6 Yea, kthough he live a thousand years twice told, yet eehath he lseen no good: do not all go to one place?

7 mAll the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the †nappetite is not filled. 8 For what hath the wise omore than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living? 9 Better is pthe sight of the eyes †than the wandering of the desire: this is also qvanity and vexation of spirit. 10 That which hath been his named ralready, and it is known that it is man: sneither may he contend with him that is tmightier than he. 11 Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man othe better? 12 For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, †all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as ua shadow? for xwho can tell a man ywhat shall be after him under the sun?

7 A agood bname is better than precious bointment; and cthe day of death than the day of one’s birth. 2 It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will dlay it to his heart. 3 ||eSorrow is better than laughter: ffor by the sadness of the countenance gthe heart is made better. 4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. 5 hIt is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools. 6 For ias the †crackling of thorns under a pot, kso is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.

7 Surely loppression mmaketh a wise man mad; and na gift destroyeth the heart. 8 Better is othe end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and pthe patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. 9 qBe not hasty in thy spirit pto be angry: for anger rresteth in the bosom of fools. 10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire †wisely concerning this. 11 Wisdom is ||good with an inheritance: and by it there is sprofit tto them that see the sun. 12 For wisdom is a †defence, and money is a †defence: but the uexcellency of knowledge is, that wisdom wgiveth life to xthem that have it. 13 Consider the work of God: for who can ymake that straight, which he hath yzmade crooked? 14 aIn the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath †set the one over against the other, bto the end that man should find nothing after him.

15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: cthere is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth dhis life in his wickedness. 16 Be not righteous over much; eneither make thyself fover wise: why shouldest thou †destroy thyself? 17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: gwhy shouldest thou die †before thy time? 18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of hthis; yea, also from ithis kwithdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all. 19 lWisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mmighty men which are in the city. 20 nFor there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and nsinneth not. 21 Also †otake no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear pthy servant curse thee: 22 oFor oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

23 All this have I proved by wisdom: qI said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. 24 That which is far off, and rexceeding deep, swho can find it out? 25 †tI applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the ureason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness: 26 And I find more wbitter than death the woman, whose heart is xsnares and nets, and her hands as bands: †whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but ythe sinner shall be taken by her. 27 Behold, this have I found, zsaith the preacher, ||counting one by one, to find out the account: 28 Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: abone man among a thousand have I found; but a woman camong all those have I not found. 29 Lo, this only have I found, dthat God hath made man upright; but ethey have sought out many finventions.

8 Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? aa man’s wisdom bmaketh his face to shine, and †the boldness of his face shall be changed. 2 I counsel thee to keep the king’s commandment, and that cin regard of dthe oath of God. 3 eBe not hasty fto go out of his sight: gstand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him. 4 Where the word of a king is, there is hpower: and iwho may say unto him, What doest thou? 5 Whoso keepeth the commandment †shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and jjudgment.

6 Because kto every purpose there is time and jjudgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him. 7 For lhe knoweth not that which shall be: for mwho can tell him ||when it shall be? 8 There is no man that hath npower over the spirit oto retain the spirit; neither hath he hpower in the day of death: and there is no ||pdischarge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver qthose that are given to it. 9 All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt. 10 And rso I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from sthe place of the holy, and tthey were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.

11 uBecause sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men xis fully set in them to do evil. 12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and yhis zadays be prolonged, yet surely I know that ait shall be well bwith them that fear God, which fear before him: 13 But it bcshall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are das a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, eunto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, fto whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity. 15 Then I commended mirth, because ga man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall habide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.