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Ecclesiastes 8

Holman Christian Standard Bible, 2009 (HCSB)

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¹ Who is like the wise person, and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed. ⓐ

² Keep [1] the king’s command because of your oath made before God. ⓑ

³ Do not be in a hurry; leave his presence, ⓒ and don’t persist in a bad cause, since he will do whatever he wants.

⁴ For the king’s word is authoritative, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?” ⓓ

⁵ The one who keeps a command will not experience anything harmful, ⓔ and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure.

⁶ For every activity there is a right time and procedure, ⓕ even though man’s troubles are heavy on him.

⁷ Yet no one knows what will happen ⓖ because who can tell him what will happen?

⁸ No one has authority over the wind [2] to restrain it, ⓗ and there is no authority over the day of death; ⓘ there is no furlough in battle, and wickedness will not allow those who practice it to escape.

⁹ All this I have seen, applying my mind to all the work that is done under the sun, at a time when one man has authority over another to his harm.

¹⁰ In such circumstances, I saw the wicked buried. They came and went from the holy place, ⓙ and they were praised [3] in the city where they did so. This too is futile.

¹¹ Because the sentence against a criminal act is not carried out quickly, ⓚ the heart of people is filled with the desire to commit crime.

¹² Although a sinner commits crime a hundred times and prolongs his life, ⓛ yet I also know that it will go well with God-fearing people, ⓜ for they are reverent before Him.

¹³ However, it will not go well with the wicked, ⓝ and they will not lengthen their days like a shadow, ⓞ for they are not reverent before God.

¹⁴ There is a futility that is done on the earth: there are righteous people who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, ⓟ and there are wicked people who get what the actions of the righteous deserve. ⓠ I say that this too is futile.

¹⁵ So I commended enjoyment because there is nothing better for man under the sun than to eat, drink, and enjoy himself, ⓡ for this will accompany him in his labor during the days of his life that God gives him under the sun.

¹⁶ When I applied my mind to know wisdom ⓢ and to observe the activity that is done on the earth (even though one’s eyes do not close in sleep day or night),

¹⁷ I observed all the work of God and concluded that man is unable to discover the work that is done under the sun. Even though a man labors hard to explore it, he cannot find it; ⓣ even if the wise man claims to know it, he is unable to discover it.

#	HCSB
1	Who is like the wise person, and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed. ⓐ
2	Keep [1] the king’s command because of your oath made before God. ⓑ
3	Do not be in a hurry; leave his presence, ⓒ and don’t persist in a bad cause, since he will do whatever he wants.
4	For the king’s word is authoritative, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?” ⓓ
5	The one who keeps a command will not experience anything harmful, ⓔ and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure.
6	For every activity there is a right time and procedure, ⓕ even though man’s troubles are heavy on him.
7	Yet no one knows what will happen ⓖ because who can tell him what will happen?
8	No one has authority over the wind [2] to restrain it, ⓗ and there is no authority over the day of death; ⓘ there is no furlough in battle, and wickedness will not allow those who practice it to escape.
9	All this I have seen, applying my mind to all the work that is done under the sun, at a time when one man has authority over another to his harm.
10	In such circumstances, I saw the wicked buried. They came and went from the holy place, ⓙ and they were praised [3] in the city where they did so. This too is futile.
11	Because the sentence against a criminal act is not carried out quickly, ⓚ the heart of people is filled with the desire to commit crime.
12	Although a sinner commits crime a hundred times and prolongs his life, ⓛ yet I also know that it will go well with God-fearing people, ⓜ for they are reverent before Him.
13	However, it will not go well with the wicked, ⓝ and they will not lengthen their days like a shadow, ⓞ for they are not reverent before God.
14	There is a futility that is done on the earth: there are righteous people who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, ⓟ and there are wicked people who get what the actions of the righteous deserve. ⓠ I say that this too is futile.
15	So I commended enjoyment because there is nothing better for man under the sun than to eat, drink, and enjoy himself, ⓡ for this will accompany him in his labor during the days of his life that God gives him under the sun.
16	When I applied my mind to know wisdom ⓢ and to observe the activity that is done on the earth (even though one’s eyes do not close in sleep day or night),
17	I observed all the work of God and concluded that man is unable to discover the work that is done under the sun. Even though a man labors hard to explore it, he cannot find it; ⓣ even if the wise man claims to know it, he is unable to discover it.

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