| NET Bible | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1So I reflected on all this, attempting to clear it all up. I concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their works, are in the hand of God; whether a person will be loved or hated--no one knows what lies ahead. | 1For I have taken all this to my heart and explain it that righteous men, wise men, and their deeds are in the hand of God. Man does not know whether it will be love or hatred; anything awaits him. |
| 2Everyone shares the same fate--the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the ceremonially clean and unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. What happens to the good person, also happens to the sinner; what happens to those who make vows, also happens to those who are afraid to make vows. | 2It is the same for all. There is one fate for the righteous and for the wicked; for the good, for the clean and for the unclean; for the man who offers a sacrifice and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the good man is, so is the sinner; as the swearer is, so is the one who is afraid to swear. |
| 3This is the unfortunate fact about everything that happens on earth: the same fate awaits everyone. In addition to this, the hearts of all people are full of evil, and there is folly in their hearts during their lives--then they die. | 3This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all men. Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they go to the dead. |
| 4But whoever is among the living has hope; a live dog is better than a dead lion. | 4For whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion. |
| 5For the living know that they will die, but the dead do not know anything; they have no further reward--and even the memory of them disappears. | 5For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten. |
| 6What they loved, as well as what they hated and envied, perished long ago, and they no longer have a part in anything that happens on earth. | 6Indeed their love, their hate and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun. |
| 7Go, eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, because God has already approved your works. | 7Go then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works. |
| 8Let your clothes always be white, and do not spare precious ointment on your head. | 8Let your clothes be white all the time, and let not oil be lacking on your head. |
| 9Enjoy life with your beloved wife during all the days of your fleeting life that God has given you on earth during all your fleeting days; for that is your reward in life and in your burdensome work on earth. | 9Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun. |
| 10Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, because there is neither work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave, the place where you will eventually go. | 10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going. |
| 11Again, I observed this on the earth: the race is not always won by the swiftest, the battle is not always won by the strongest; prosperity does not always belong to those who are the wisest, wealth does not always belong to those who are the most discerning, nor does success always come to those with the most knowledge--for time and chance may overcome them all. | 11I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and chance overtake them all. |
| 12Surely, no one knows his appointed time! Like fish that are caught in a deadly net, and like birds that are caught in a snare--just like them, all people are ensnared at an unfortunate time that falls upon them suddenly. | 12Moreover, man does not know his time: like fish caught in a treacherous net and birds trapped in a snare, so the sons of men are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them. |
| 13This is what I also observed about wisdom on earth, and it is a great burden to me: | 13Also this I came to see as wisdom under the sun, and it impressed me. |
| 14There was once a small city with a few men in it, and a mighty king attacked it, besieging it and building strong siege works against it. | 14There was a small city with few men in it and a great king came to it, surrounded it and constructed large siegeworks against it. |
| 15However, a poor but wise man lived in the city, and he could have delivered the city by his wisdom, but no one listened to that poor man. | 15But there was found in it a poor wise man and he delivered the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man. |
| 16So I concluded that wisdom is better than might, but a poor man's wisdom is despised; no one ever listens to his advice. | 16So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded. |
| 17The words of the wise are heard in quiet, more than the shouting of a ruler is heard among fools. | 17The words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. |
| 18Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much that is good. | 18Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. |
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