¹Who is as the wise? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? The wisdom of man causeth his face to shine, and the hardness of his face is changed. ²I pray thee, the commandment of a king keep, even for the sake of the oath of God. ³Be not troubled at his presence, thou mayest go, stand not in an evil thing, for all that he pleaseth he doth. ⁴Where the word of a king is power is, and who saith to him, ‘What dost thou?’ ⁵Whoso is keeping a command knoweth no evil thing, and time and judgment the heart of the wise knoweth.

⁶For to every delight there is a time and a judgment, for the misfortune of man is great upon him. ⁷For he knoweth not that which shall be, for when it shall be who declareth to him? ⁸There is no man ruling over the spirit to restrain the spirit, and there is no authority over the day of death, and there is no discharge in battle, and wickedness delivereth not its possessors.

⁹All this I have seen so as to give my heart to every work that hath been done under the sun; a time that man hath ruled over man to his own evil.

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