Ecclesiastes Chapter 8
King James Version (KJV)
Other Translations
asv (asv) - eBible.org engASV USFM
1
Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof;
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and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
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Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
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Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
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Wisdom is as good as an inheritance; yea, more excellent is it for them that see the sun.
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For wisdom is a defence, even as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom preserveth the life of him that hath it.
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Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?
8
In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yea, God hath made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything
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that shall be after him.
10
All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth
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his life in his evil-doing.
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Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
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Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
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It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth from them all.
15
Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers that are in a city.
16
Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
17
Also take not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee;
darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext
1
Who is as the wise? and who knoweth the explanation of things? A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face is changed.
2
I [say], Keep the king's commandment, and [that] on account of the oath ofGod.
3
Be not hasty to go out of his sight; persist not in an evil thing: for he doeth whatever pleaseth him,
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because the word of a king is power; and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
5
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart knoweth time and manner.
6
For to every purpose there is time and manner. For the misery of man is great upon him;
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for he knoweth not that which shall be; for who can tell him how it shall be?
8
There is no man who hath control over the spirit to retain the spirit; and no one hath control over the day of death; and there is no discharge in that war, neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.
9
All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time when man ruleth man to his hurt.
10
And I have also seen the wicked buried and going away; and such as had acted rightly went from [the] holy place, and were forgotten in the city. This also is vanity.
11
Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to do evil.
12
Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and prolong his [days], yet I know that it shall be well with them that fearGod, because they fear before him;
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but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong [his] days as a shadow, because he feareth not beforeGod.
14
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; and there are wicked [men] to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.
15
And I commended mirth, because there is nothing better for man 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, whichGod hath given him under the sun.
16
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),
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then I saw that all [is] the work ofGod, [and] that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because however man may labour to seek [it] out, yet doth he not find [it]; and even, if a wise [man] think to know [it], he shall not be able to find [it] out.
lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM
1
A man's wisdom will lighten his countenance; but a man of shameless countenance will be hated.
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Observe the commandment of the king, and [that] because of the word of the oath of God.
3
Be not hasty; thou shalt go forth out of his presence: stand not in an evil matter; for he will do whatsoever he shall please,
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even as a king having power: and who will say to him, What doest thou?
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He that keeps the commandment shall not know an evil thing: and the heart of the wise knows the time of judgment.
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For to every thing there is time and judgment; for the knowledge of a man is great to him.
7
For there is no one that knows what is going to be: for who shall tell him how it shall be?
8
There is no man that has power over the spirit to retain the spirit; and there is no power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in the day of battle; neither shall ungodliness save her votary.
9
So I saw all this, and I applied my heart to every work that has been done under the sun; all the things wherein man has power over man to afflict him.
10
And then I saw the ungodly carried into the tombs, and [that] out of the holy place: and they departed, and were praised in the city, because they had done thus: this also is vanity.
11
Because there is no contradiction made on the part of those who do evil quickly, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully determined in them to do evil.
12
He that has sinned has done evil from that time, and long from beforehand: nevertheless I know, that it is well with them that fear God, that they may fear before him:
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but it shall not be well with the ungodly, and he shall not prolong his days, [which are] as a shadow; forasmuch as he fears not before God.
14
There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there are righteous persons to whom it happens according to the doing of the ungodly; and there are ungodly men, to whom it happens according to the doing of the just: I said, This is also vanity.
15
Then I praised mirth, because there is no good for a man under the sun, but to eat, and drink, and be merry: and this shall attend him in his labour all the days of his life, which God has given him under the sun.
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Whereupon I set my heart to know wisdom, and to perceive the trouble that was wrought upon the earth: for there is that neither by day nor night sees sleep with his eyes.
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And I beheld all the works of God, that a man shall not be able to discover the work which is wrought under the sun; whatsoever things a man shall endeavour to seek, however a man may labour to seek it, yet he shall not find it; yea, how much soever a wise man may speak of knowing it, he shall not be able to find it: for I applied all this to my heart, and my heart has seen all this.
vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)
1
Sapientia hominis lucet in vultu eius, et potentissimus faciem illius commutabit.
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Ego os regis observo, et præcepta iuramenti Dei.
3
Ne festines recedere a facie eius, neque permaneas in opere malo: quia omne, quod voluerit, faciet:
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et sermo illius potestate plenus est: nec dicere ei quisquam potest: Quare ita facis?
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Qui custodit præceptum, non experietur quidquam mali. Tempus et responsionem cor sapientis intelligit.
6
Omni negotio tempus est, et opportunitas, et multa hominis afflictio:
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quia ignorat præterita, et futura nullo scire potest nuncio.
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Non est in hominis potestate prohibere spiritum, nec habet potestatem in die mortis, nec sinitur quiescere ingruente bello, neque salvabit impietas impium.
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Omnia hæc consideravi, et dedi cor meum in cunctis operibus, quæ fiunt sub sole. Interdum dominatur homo homini in malum suum.
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Vidi impios sepultos: qui etiam cum adhuc viverent, in loco sancto erant, et laudabantur in civitate quasi iustorum operum. sed et hoc vanitas est.
11
Etenim quia non profertur cito contra malos sententia, absque timore ullo filii hominum perpetrant mala.
12
Attamen peccator ex eo quod centies facit malum, et per patientiam sustentatur, ego cognovi quod erit bonum timentibus Deum, qui verentur faciem eius.
13
Non sit bonum impio, nec prolongentur dies eius, sed quasi umbra transeant qui non timent faciem Domini.
14
Est et alia vanitas, quæ fit super terram. sunt iusti, quibus mala proveniunt, quasi opera egerint impiorum: et sunt impii, qui ita securi sunt, quasi iustorum facta habeant. sed et hoc vanissimum iudico.
15
Laudavi igitur lætitiam quod non esset homini bonum sub sole, nisi quod comederet, et biberet, atque gauderet: et hoc solum secum auferret de labore suo in diebus vitæ suæ, quos dedit ei Deus sub sole.
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Et apposui cor meum ut scirem sapientiam, et intelligerem distentionem, quæ versatur in terra: est homo, qui diebus et noctibus somnum non capit oculis.
17
Et intellexi quod omnium operum Dei nullam possit homo invenire rationem eorum, quæ fiunt sub sole: et quanto plus laboraverit ad quærendum, tanto minus inveniat: etiam si dixerit sapiens se nosse, non poterit reperire.
web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV
1
Who is like the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.
2
I say, “Keep the king’s command!” because of the oath to God.
3
Don’t be hasty to go out of his presence. Don’t persist in an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him,
4
for the king’s word is supreme. Who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
5
Whoever keeps the commandment shall not come to harm, and his wise heart will know the time and procedure.
6
For there is a time and procedure for every purpose, although the misery of man is heavy on him.
7
For he doesn’t know that which will be; for who can tell him how it will be?
8
There is no man who has power over the spirit to contain the spirit; neither does he have power over the day of death. There is no discharge in war; neither shall wickedness deliver those who practice it.
9
All this I have seen, and applied my mind to every work that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one man has power over another to his hurt.
10
So I saw the wicked buried. Indeed they came also from holiness. They went and were forgotten in the city where they did this. This also is vanity.
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.
12
Though a sinner commits crimes a hundred times, and lives long, yet surely I know that it will be better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him.
13
But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he lengthen days like a shadow, because he doesn’t fear God.
14
There is a vanity which is done on the earth, that there are righteous 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.
15
Then I commended mirth, because a man has no better thing under the sun than to eat, to drink, and to be joyful: for that will accompany him in his labor all the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.
16
When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on the earth (even though eyes see no sleep day or night),
17
then I saw all the work of God, that man can’t find out the work that is done under the sun, because however much a man labors to seek it out, yet he won’t find it. Yes even though a wise man thinks he can comprehend it, he won’t be able to find it.
ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8
1
Who <FI>is<Fi> as the wise? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? The wisdom of man causeth his face to shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.
2
I pray thee, the commandment of a king keep, even for the sake of the oath of God.
3
Be not troubled at his presence, thou mayest go, stand not in an evil thing, for all that he pleaseth he doth.
4
Where the word of a king <FI>is<Fi> power <FI>is<Fi> , and who saith to him, `What dost thou?'
5
Whoso is keeping a command knoweth no evil thing, and time and judgment the heart of the wise knoweth.
6
For to every delight there is a time and a judgment, for the misfortune of man is great upon him.
7
For he knoweth not that which shall be, for when it shall be who declareth to him?
8
There is no man ruling over the spirit to restrain the spirit, and there is no authority over the day of death, and there is no discharge in battle, and wickedness delivereth not its possessors.
9
All this I have seen so as to give my heart to every work that hath been done under the sun; a time that man hath ruled over man to his own evil.
10
And so I have seen the wicked buried, and they went in, even from the Holy Place they go, and they are forgotten in the city whether they had so done. This also <FI>is<Fi> vanity.
11
Because sentence hath not been done <FI>on<Fi> an evil work speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of man is full within them to do evil.
12
Though a sinner is doing evil a hundred <FI>times<Fi> , and prolonging <FI>himself<Fi> for it, surely also I know that there is good to those fearing God, who fear before Him.
13
And good is not to the wicked, and he doth not prolong days as a shadow, because he is not fearing before God.
14
There is a vanity that hath been done upon the earth, that there are righteous ones unto whom it is coming according to the work of the wicked, and there are wicked ones unto whom it is coming according to the work of the righteous. I have said that this also <FI>is<Fi> vanity.
15
And I have praised mirth because there is no good to man under the sun except to eat and to drink, and to rejoice, and it remaineth with him of his labour the days of his life that God hath given to him under the sun.
16
When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that hath been done on the earth, (for there is also a spectator in whose eyes sleep is not by day and by night),
17
then I considered all the work of God, that man is not able to find out the work that hath been done under the sun, because though man labour to seek, yet he doth not find; and even though the wise man speak of knowing he is not able to find.
Explanations by Age Level
Explain Like I'm 5
A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!
Explain Like I'm 10
Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.
Explain Like I'm 15
Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).