Eccl.8.1
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 boldness of his face shall be changed.
Eccl.8.1
There's nothing better than being wise, Knowing how to interpret the meaning of life. Wisdom puts light in the eyes, And gives gentleness to words and manners.
Eccl.8.1
Who is like the wise man? Who knows the explanation of things? Wisdom brightens a man's face and changes its hard appearance.
Eccl.8.1
Who is like a wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face shine, And the sternness of his face is changed.
Eccl.8.1
How wonderful to be wise, to be able to analyze and interpret things. Wisdom lights up a person's face, softening its hardness.
Eccl.8.2
I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.
Eccl.8.2
Do what your king commands; you gave a sacred oath of obedience.
Eccl.8.2
Obey the king's command, I say, because you took an oath before God.
Eccl.8.2
I say, "Keep the king's commandment for the sake of your oath to God.
Eccl.8.2
Obey the king because you have vowed before God to do this.
Eccl.8.3
Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
Eccl.8.3
Don't worryingly second-guess your orders or try to back out when the task is unpleasant. You're serving his pleasure, not yours.
Eccl.8.3
Do not be in a hurry to leave the king's presence. Do not stand up for a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases.
Eccl.8.3
Do not be hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand for an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him."
Eccl.8.3
Don't try to avoid doing your duty, and don't take a stand with those who plot evil. For the king will punish those who disobey him.
Eccl.8.4
Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
Eccl.8.4
The king has the last word. Who dares say to him, "What are you doing?"
Eccl.8.4
Since a king's word is supreme, who can say to him, "What are you doing?"
Eccl.8.4
Where the word of a king is, there is power; And who may say to him, "What are you doing?"
Eccl.8.4
The king's command is backed by great power. No one can resist or question it.
Eccl.8.5
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.
Eccl.8.5
Carrying out orders won't hurt you a bit; the wise person obeys promptly and accurately.
Eccl.8.5
Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.
Eccl.8.5
He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful; And a wise man's heart discerns both time and judgment,
Eccl.8.5
Those who obey him will not be punished. Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right.
Eccl.8.6
Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.
Eccl.8.6
Yes, there's a right time and way for everything, even though, unfortunately, we miss it for the most part.
Eccl.8.6
For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a man's misery weighs heavily upon him.
Eccl.8.6
Because for every matter there is a time and judgment, Though the misery of man increases greatly.
Eccl.8.6
Yes, there is a time and a way for everything, even as people's troubles lie heavily upon them.
Eccl.8.7
For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?
Eccl.8.7
It's true that no one knows what's going to happen, or when. Who's around to tell us?
Eccl.8.7
Since no man knows the future, who can tell him what is to come?
Eccl.8.7
For he does not know what will happen; So who can tell him when it will occur?
Eccl.8.7
Indeed, how can people avoid what they don't know is going to happen?
Eccl.8.8
There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.
Eccl.8.8
No one can control the wind or lock it in a box. No one has any say-so regarding the day of death. No one can stop a battle in its tracks. No one who does evil can be saved by evil.
Eccl.8.8
No man has power over the wind to contain it; so no one has power over the day of his death. As no one is discharged in time of war, so wickedness will not release those who practice it.
Eccl.8.8
No one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit, And no one has power in the day of death. There is no release from that war, And wickedness will not deliver those who are given to it.
Eccl.8.8
None of us can hold back our spirit from departing. None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death. There is no escaping that obligation, that dark battle. And in the face of death, wickedness will certainly not rescue those who practice it.
Eccl.8.9
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.
Eccl.8.9
All this I observed as I tried my best to understand all that's going on in this world. As long as men and women have the power to hurt each other, this is the way it is. One Fate for Everybody
Eccl.8.9
All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is a time when a man lords it over others to his own hurt.
Eccl.8.9
All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun: There is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt.
Eccl.8.9
I have thought deeply about all that goes on here in the world, where people have the power to hurt each other.
Eccl.8.10
And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.
Eccl.8.10
One time I saw wicked men given a solemn burial in holy ground. When the people returned to the city, they delivered flowery eulogies--and in the very place where wicked acts were done by those very men! More smoke. Indeed.
Eccl.8.10
Then too, I saw the wicked buried-those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless.
Eccl.8.10
Then I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of holiness, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done. This also is vanity.
Eccl.8.10
I have seen wicked people buried with honor. How strange that they were the very ones who frequented the Temple and are praised in the very city where they committed their crimes!
Eccl.8.11
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.
Eccl.8.11
Because the sentence against evil deeds is so long in coming, people in general think they can get by with murder.
Eccl.8.11
When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong.
Eccl.8.11
Because the 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.
Eccl.8.11
When a crime is not punished, people feel it is safe to do wrong.
Eccl.8.12
Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:
Eccl.8.12
Even though a person sins and gets by with it hundreds of times throughout a long life, I'm still convinced that the good life is reserved for the person who fears God, who lives reverently in his presence,
Eccl.8.12
Although a wicked man commits a hundred crimes and still lives a long time, I know that it will go better with God-fearing men, who are reverent before God.
Eccl.8.12
Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him.
Eccl.8.12
But even though a person sins a hundred times and still lives a long time, I know that those who fear God will be better off.
Eccl.8.13
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.
Eccl.8.13
and that the evil person will not experience a "good" life. No matter how many days he lives, they'll all be as flat and colorless as a shadow--because he doesn't fear God. [JC]
Eccl.8.13
Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.
Eccl.8.13
But it will not be well with the wicked; nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God.
Eccl.8.13
The wicked will never live long, good lives, for they do not fear God. Their days will never grow long like the evening shadows.
Eccl.8.14
There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.
Eccl.8.14
Here's something that happens all the time and makes no sense at all: Good people get what's coming to the wicked, and bad people get what's coming to the good. I tell you, this makes no sense. It's smoke.
Eccl.8.14
There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: righteous men who get what the wicked deserve, and wicked men who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless.
Eccl.8.14
There is a vanity which occurs on earth, that there are just men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.
Eccl.8.14
And this is not all that is meaningless in our world. In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is so meaningless!
Eccl.8.15
Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.
Eccl.8.15
So, I'm all for just going ahead and having a good time--the best possible. The only earthly good men and women can look forward to is to eat and drink well and have a good time--compensation for the struggle for survival these few years God gives us on earth.
Eccl.8.15
So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun.
Eccl.8.15
So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.
Eccl.8.15
So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people to do in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them.
Eccl.8.16
When I applied mine 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:)
Eccl.8.16
When I determined to load up on wisdom and examine everything taking place on earth, I realized that if you keep your eyes open day and night without even blinking,
Eccl.8.16
When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe man's labor on earth-his eyes not seeing sleep day or night-
Eccl.8.16
When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on earth, even though one sees no sleep day or night,
Eccl.8.16
In my search for wisdom, I tried to observe everything that goes on all across the earth. I discovered that there is ceaseless activity, day and night.
Eccl.8.17
Then I beheld all the work of God, that a 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, yet shall he not be able to find it.
Eccl.8.17
you'll still never figure out the meaning of what God is doing on this earth. Search as hard as you like, you're not going to make sense of it. No matter how smart you are, you won't get to the bottom of it.
Eccl.8.17
then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out, man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it.
Eccl.8.17
then I saw all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. For though a man labors to discover it, yet he will not find it; moreover, though a wise man attempts to know it, he will not be able to find it.
Eccl.8.17
This reminded me that no one can discover everything God has created in our world, no matter how hard they work at it. Not even the wisest people know everything, even if they say they do.
