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.

16 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the ibusiness that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:) 17 Then I beheld all the work of God, that ka man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, lyet shall he not be able to find it.