Chapter 9

Men Are in the Hand of God

1 For I have taken all this to my heart and explain 1it that righteous men, wise men, and their deeds are ain the hand of God. bMan does not know whether it will be clove or hatred; anything 2awaits him.

2 aIt is the same for all. There is bone 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 1is afraid to swear.

3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is aone fate for all men. Furthermore, bthe hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and cinsanity 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 ado not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their bmemory is forgotten.

6 Indeed their love, their hate and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a ashare in all that is done under the sun.

7 Go then, aeat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works.

8 Let your aclothes be white all the time, and let not boil be lacking on your head.

9 Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your 1afleeting life which He has given to you under the sun2; for this is your breward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.

Whatever Your Hand Finds to Do

10 Whatever your hand finds to do, ado it with all your might; for there is no bactivity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in cSheol where you are going.

11 I again saw under the sun that the arace is not to the swift and the bbattle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor cwealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and dchance overtake them all.

12 Moreover, man does not aknow his time: like fish caught in a treacherous net and bbirds trapped in a snare, so the sons of men are censnared at an evil time when it dsuddenly falls on them.

13 Also this I came to see as wisdom under the sun, and 1it impressed me.

14 There awas 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 apoor wise man and he 1delivered the city bby his wisdom. Yet cno one remembered that poor man.

16 So I said, “aWisdom is better than strength.” But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded.

17 The awords of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.

18 aWisdom is better than weapons of war, but bone sinner destroys much good.