Ecclesiastes 8:1–9

8Who is like a wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing?

^aA man’s wisdom makes his face shine,

And ^bthe ¹sternness of his face is changed.

Obey Authorities for God’s Sake

²I say, “Keep the king’s commandment ^cfor the sake of your oath to God. ^3dDo not be hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand for an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him.”

⁴Where the word of a king is, there is power;

And ^ewho may say to him, “What are you doing?”

⁵He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful;

And a wise man’s heart ²discerns both time and judgment,

⁶Because ^ffor every matter there is a time and judgment,

Though the misery of man ³increases greatly.

^7gFor he does not know what will happen;

So who can tell him when it will occur?

^8hNo one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit,

And no one has power in the day of death.

There is ⁱno release from that war,

And wickedness will not deliver those who are given to it.

⁹All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun: There is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt.