^{1 Ref} Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.

^{2 Ref} I `counsel thee', Keep the king's command, and that in regard of the oath of God.

^{3 Ref} Be not hasty to go out of his presence; persist not in an evil thing: for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.

^{4 Ref} For the king's word `hath' power; and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

^{5 Ref} Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart discerneth time and judgment:

^{6 Ref} for to every purpose there is a time and judgment; because the misery of man is great upon him:

^{7 Ref} for he knoweth not that which shall be; for who can tell him how it shall be?

^{8 Ref} There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in war: neither shall wickedness deliver him that is given to it.

^{9 Ref} 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 hath power over another to his hurt.

^{10 Ref} So I saw the wicked buried, and they came `to the grave'; and they that had done right went away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city: this also is vanity.

^{11 Ref} Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

^{12 Ref} Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and prolong his `days', yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that fear before him:

^{13 Ref} but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong `his' days, `which are' as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

^{14 Ref} There is a vanity which is done upon the earth, that there are righteous men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.

^{15 Ref} Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be joyful: for that shall abide with him in his labor `all' the days of his life which God hath given him under the sun.

^{16 Ref} When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes),

^{17 Ref} then I beheld all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because however much a man labor to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea moreover, though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.

^{1 Ref} Who is like the wise man? and to whom is the sense of anything clear? A man's wisdom makes his face shining, and his hard face will be changed.

^{2 Ref} I say to you, Keep the king's law, from respect for the oath of God.

^{3 Ref} Be not quick to go from before him. Be not fixed in an evil design, because he does whatever is pleasing to him.

^{4 Ref} The word of a king has authority; and who may say to him, What is this you are doing?

^{5 Ref} Whoever keeps the law will come to no evil: and a wise man's heart has knowledge of time and of decision.

^{6 Ref} For every purpose there is a time and a decision, because the sorrow of man is great in him.

^{7 Ref} No one is certain what is to be, and who is able to say to him when it will be?

^{8 Ref} No man has authority over the wind, to keep the wind; or is ruler over the day of his death. In war no man's time is free, and evil will not keep the sinner safe.

^{9 Ref} All this have I seen, and have given my heart to all the work which is done under the sun: there is a time when man has power over man for his destruction.

^{10 Ref} And then I saw evil men put to rest, taken even from the holy place; and they went about and were praised in the town because of what they had done. This again is to no purpose.

^{11 Ref} Because punishment for an evil work comes not quickly, the minds of the sons of men are fully given to doing evil.

^{12 Ref} Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and his life is long, I am certain that it will be well for those who go in fear of God and are in fear before him.

^{13 Ref} But it will not be well for the evil-doer; he will not make his days long like a shade, because he has no fear before God.

^{14 Ref} There is a thing which is to no purpose done on the earth: that there are good men to whom is given the same punishment as those who are evil, and there are evil men who get the reward of the good. I say that this again is to no purpose.

^{15 Ref} So I gave praise to joy, because there is nothing better for a man to do under the sun than to take meat and drink and be happy; for that will be with him in his work all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.

^{16 Ref} When I gave my mind to the knowledge of wisdom and to seeing the business which is done on the earth (and there are those whose eyes see not sleep by day or by night),

^{17 Ref} Then I saw all the work of God, and that man may not get knowledge of the work which is done under the sun; because, if a man gives hard work to the search he will not get knowledge, and even if the wise man seems to be coming to the end of his search, still he will be without knowledge.