^{1 Ref} All this I took to heart, and my heart saw it all: that the upright and the wise and their works are in the hand of God; and men may not be certain if it will be love or hate; all is to no purpose before them.

^{2 Ref} Because to all there is one event, to the upright man and to the evil, to the clean and to the unclean, to him who makes an offering and to him who makes no offering; as is the good so is the sinner; he who takes an oath is as he who has fear of it.

^{3 Ref} This is evil in all things which are done under the sun: that there is one fate for all, and the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; while they have life their hearts are foolish, and after that--to the dead.

^{4 Ref} For him who is joined to all the living there is hope; a living dog is better than a dead lion.

^{5 Ref} The living are conscious that death will come to them, but the dead are not conscious of anything, and they no longer have a reward, because there is no memory of them.

^{6 Ref} Their love and their hate and their envy are now ended; and they have no longer a part for ever in anything which is done under the sun.

^{7 Ref} Come, take your bread with joy, and your wine with a glad heart. God has taken pleasure in your works.

^{8 Ref} Let your clothing be white at all times, and let not your head be without oil.

^{9 Ref} Have joy with the woman of your love all the days of your foolish life which he gives you under the sun. Because that is your part in life and in your work which you do under the sun.

^{10 Ref} Whatever comes to your hand to do with all your power, do it because there is no work, or thought, or knowledge, or wisdom in the place of the dead to which you are going.

^{11 Ref} And again I saw under the sun that the reward goes not to him who is quick, or the fruits of war to the strong; and there is no bread for the wise, or wealth for men of learning, or respect for those who have knowledge; but time and chance come to all.

^{12 Ref} Even man has no knowledge of his time; like fishes taken in an evil net, or like birds taken by deceit, are the sons of men taken in an evil time when it comes suddenly on them.

^{13 Ref} This again I have seen under the sun as wisdom and it seemed great to me.

^{14 Ref} There was a little town and the number of its men was small, and there came a great king against it and made an attack on it, building works of war round about it.

^{15 Ref} Now there was in the town a poor, wise man, and he, by his wisdom, kept the town safe. But no one had any memory of that same poor man.

^{16 Ref} Then I said, Wisdom is better than strength, but the poor man's wisdom is not respected, and his words are not given a hearing.

^{17 Ref} The words of the wise which come quietly to the ear are noted more than the cry of a ruler among the foolish.

^{18 Ref} Wisdom is better than instruments of war, but one sinner is the destruction of much good.

^{1 Ref} For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn't know it; all is before them.

^{2 Ref} All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn't sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath, as he who fears an oath.

^{3 Ref} This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

^{4 Ref} For to him who is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

^{5 Ref} For the living know that they will die, but the dead don't know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

^{6 Ref} Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.

^{7 Ref} Go your way--eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works.

^{8 Ref} Let your garments be always white, and don't let your head lack oil.

^{9 Ref} Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity: for that is your portion in life, and in your labor in which you labor under the sun.

^{10 Ref} Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going.

^{11 Ref} I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.

^{12 Ref} For man also doesn't know his time. As the fish that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them.

^{13 Ref} I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to me.

^{14 Ref} There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.

^{15 Ref} Now a poor wise man was found in it, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.

^{16 Ref} Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

^{17 Ref} The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules among fools.

^{18 Ref} Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.

^{1 Ref} But all this I have laid unto my heart, so as to clear up the whole of this, that the righteous and the wise, and their works, `are' in the hand of God, neither love nor hatred doth man know, the whole `is' before them.

^{2 Ref} The whole `is' as to the whole; one event is to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean, and to him who is sacrificing, and to him who is not sacrificing; as `is' the good, so `is' the sinner, he who is swearing as he who is fearing an oath.

^{3 Ref} This `is' an evil among all that hath been done under the sun, that one event `is' to all, and also the heart of the sons of man is full of evil, and madness `is' in their heart during their life, and after it -- unto the dead.

^{4 Ref} But `to' him who is joined unto all the living there is confidence, for to a living dog it `is' better than to the dead lion.

^{5 Ref} For the living know that they die, and the dead know not anything, and there is no more to them a reward, for their remembrance hath been forgotten.

^{6 Ref} Their love also, their hatred also, their envy also, hath already perished, and they have no more a portion to the age in all that hath been done under the sun.

^{7 Ref} Go, eat with joy thy bread, and drink with a glad heart thy wine, for already hath God been pleased with thy works.

^{8 Ref} At all times let thy garments be white, and let not perfume be lacking on thy head.

^{9 Ref} See life with the wife whom thou hast loved, all the days of the life of thy vanity, that He hath given to thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity, for it `is' thy portion in life, even of thy labour that thou art labouring at under the sun.

^{10 Ref} All that thy hand findeth to do, with thy power do, for there is no work, and device, and knowledge, and wisdom in Sheol whither thou art going.

^{11 Ref} I have turned so as to see under the sun, that not to the swift `is' the race, nor to the mighty the battle, nor even to the wise bread, nor even to the intelligent wealth, nor even to the skilful grace, for time and chance happen with them all.

^{12 Ref} For even man knoweth not his time; as fish that are taken hold of by an evil net, and as birds that are taken hold of by a snare, like these `are' the sons of man snared at an evil time, when it falleth upon them suddenly.

^{13 Ref} This also I have seen: wisdom under the sun, and it is great to me.

^{14 Ref} A little city, and few men in it, and a great king hath come unto it, and hath surrounded it, and hath built against it great bulwarks;

^{15 Ref} and there hath been found in it a poor wise man, and he hath delivered the city by his wisdom, and men have not remembered that poor man!

^{16 Ref} And I said, `Better `is' wisdom than might, and the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.' --

^{17 Ref} The words of the wise in quiet are heard, More than the cry of a ruler over fools.

^{18 Ref} Better `is' wisdom than weapons of conflict, And one sinner destroyeth much good!