| King James Bible | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Who 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. | 1Who is like the wise man and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man's wisdom illumines him and causes his stern face to beam. |
| 2I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God. | 2I say, "Keep the command of the king because of the oath before God. |
| 3Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him. | 3"Do not be in a hurry to leave him. Do not join in an evil matter, for he will do whatever he pleases." |
| 4Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou? | 4Since the word of the king is authoritative, who will say to him, "What are you doing?" |
| 5Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment. | 5He who keeps a royal command experiences no trouble, for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure. |
| 6Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him. | 6For there is a proper time and procedure for every delight, though a man's trouble is heavy upon him. |
| 7For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be? | 7If no one knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen? |
| 8There 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. | 8No man has authority to restrain the wind with the wind, or authority over the day of death; and there is no discharge in the time of war, and evil will not deliver those who practice it. |
| 9All 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. | 9All this I have seen and applied my mind to every deed that has been done under the sun wherein a man has exercised authority over another man to his hurt. |
| 10And 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. | 10So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out from the holy place, and they are soon forgotten in the city where they did thus. This too is futility. |
| 11Because 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. | 11Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil. |
| 12Though 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: | 12Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life, still I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly. |
| 13But 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. | 13But it will not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God. |
| 14There 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. | 14There is futility which is done on the earth, that is, there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked. On the other hand, there are evil men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I say that this too is futility. |
| 15Then 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. | 15So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to be merry, and this will stand by him in his toils throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun. |
| 16When 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:) | 16When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the task which has been done on the earth (even though one should never sleep day or night), |
| 17Then 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. | 17and I saw every work of God, I concluded that man cannot discover the work which has been done under the sun. Even though man should seek laboriously, he will not discover; and though the wise man should say, "I know," he cannot discover. |
| King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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