Old Testament · Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 8

Obey the King

1Who is like the wise? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? The wisdom of a man^a makes his face shine, and the boldness of his face is changed.

2I say, keep the king's command, and that on account of the oath of God. 3Do not be hasty to go from his presence; do not stand in an evil thing; for he does whatever he pleases. 4Inasmuch as the word of a king is power, who can say to him, "What are you doing?"

5He who keeps the commandment^b shall know no evil thing; and a wise heart knows time and judgment^c. 6For to every matter there is a time and judgment; for the evil of man is great upon him. 7For he does not know what shall be; for when it comes to pass, who can tell him?

8There is no man who has power over the spirit^d to retain the spirit; and there is no power in the day of death; and there is no discharge in war; and wickedness does not deliver its owners. 9All this I have seen, and gave my heart to every work that is done under the sun: a time when man ruled over man to his hurt.

Fear God

(Isaiah 8:11–15)

10And so I saw the wicked buried, and they came; and from a holy place they went, and they were forgotten in the city where they had done so; this also is vanity. 11Because sentence against an evil deed is not done speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of man is full within them to do evil.

12Because a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his days—yet I also know that it shall be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him; 13But it shall not be well with the wicked, and he shall not prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.

God’s Ways Are Mysterious

14There is a vanity which is done upon the earth: that there are righteous to whom it happens according to the deed of the wicked, and there are wicked to whom it happens according to the deed of the righteous; I said that this also is vanity.

15And I praised joy, because there is nothing good for man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to rejoice; and this accompanies him in his labor the days of his life^e which God has given him under the sun.

16When I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to see the task that is done upon the earth—for also by day and by night he sees no sleep with his eyes— 17then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun; because though man labors to seek it, he does not find it; and even if the wise says he knows, he cannot find it.