Ecclesiastes 8:1–9

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

⁶Because ^kto every purpose there is time and ^jjudgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him. ⁷For ^lhe knoweth not that which shall be: for ^mwho can tell him when it shall be? ⁸There 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. ⁹All 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.