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Ecclesiastes 8

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

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¹ Who is like the wise person, and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A person’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 a person’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; ⓒ no one is discharged during 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 person 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 those things. This too is futile.

¹¹ Because the sentence against an evil act is not carried out quickly, ⓔ the heart of people is filled with the desire to commit evil.

¹² Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, ⓕ 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 a person 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 a person is unable to discover the work that is done under the sun. Even though a person labors hard to explore it, he cannot find it; ⓝ even if a wise person claims to know it, he is unable to discover it.

#	CSB
1	Who is like the wise person, and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A person’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 a person’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; ⓒ no one is discharged during 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 person 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 those things. This too is futile.
11	Because the sentence against an evil act is not carried out quickly, ⓔ the heart of people is filled with the desire to commit evil.
12	Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, ⓕ 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 a person 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 a person is unable to discover the work that is done under the sun. Even though a person labors hard to explore it, he cannot find it; ⓝ even if a wise person claims to know it, he is unable to discover it.

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Ecclesiastes 8

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