‏ Ecclesiastes 8

Obey Rulers

1 Who is like the wise person and who knows the meaning of a matter? A person’s wisdom ailluminates his face and makes his bstern face
Or change
brighten up.

2 I say, “Keep the
Lit mouth
command of the king because of the eoath
Lit of
before God.
3Do not be in a hurry
Lit to go out from his presence
hto leave him. Do not join in an evil matter, for he will do whatever he pleases.”
4Since the word of the king is authoritative, iwho will say to him, “What are you doing?”

5 One who jkeeps a royal command kexperiences no
Lit evil thing
trouble, for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure.
6For mthere is a proper time and procedure for every delight, though a person’s trouble is heavy upon him. 7If no one nknows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen? 8 oNo one has authority over the wind to restrain the wind, nor authority over the day of death; and there is no military discharge in the time of war, and pevil will not save
Lit its possessors
those who practice it.
9All this I have seen, and have applied my
Lit heart
mind to every deed that has been done under the sun at a time when one person has exercised sauthority over another person to his detriment.

10 So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out of the holy place, and they are tsoon forgotten in the city where they did such things. This too is futility. 11Because the usentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore vthe hearts of the sons of mankind among them are
Lit full to do
fully given to do evil.
12Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may xlengthen his life, still I know that it will go ywell for those who fear God, who fear
Lit before Him
Him openly.
13But it will aanot go well for the evil person and he will not lengthen his days like a abshadow, because he does not fear God.

14 There is futility which is done on the earth, that is, there are acrighteous people to whom it
Lit strikes
happens according to the deeds of the wicked. On the other hand, there are aeevil people to whom it
Lit strikes
happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I say that this too is futility.
15So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for aga person under the sun except to eat, drink, and be joyful, and this will stand by him in his labor throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.

16 When I ahdevoted my
Lit heart
mind to know wisdom and to see the business which has been done on the earth (even though one should
Lit see no sleep in his eyes
aknever sleep day or night),
17and I saw every work of God, I concluded that alone cannot discover the work which has been done under the sun. Even though a person laboriously seeks, he will not discover; and ameven if the wise person claims to know, he cannot discover.
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