Ecclesiastes 9 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Mankind Is in the Hand of God

1 For I have given ^H5414 all ^H3605 this ^H2088 to my heart ^H3820 and explain ^H952 [fn]it that righteous ^H6662 men ^H6662, wise ^H2450 men ^H2450, and their service ^H5652 are in the hand ^H3027 of God ^H430. Man ^H120 does not know ^H3045 whether ^H1571 it will be love ^H160 or ^H1571 hatred ^H8135; anything ^H3605 may be before ^H6440 him.

2 It is the same ^H834 for all ^H3605. There is one ^H259 fate ^H4745 for the righteous ^H6662 and for the wicked ^H7563; for the good ^H2896, for the clean ^H2889 and for the unclean ^H2931; for the man who offers ^H2076 a ^H2076 sacrifice ^H2076 and for the one who ^H834 does not sacrifice ^H2076. As the good ^H2896 man ^H2896 is, so is the sinner ^H2398; as the swearer ^H7650 is, so is the one who [fn]is ^H3372 afraid ^H3372 to swear ^H7621.

3 This ^H2088 is an evil ^H7451 in all ^H3605 that is done ^H6213 under ^H8478 the sun ^H8121, that there is one ^H259 fate ^H4745 for all ^H3605. Furthermore ^H1571, the hearts ^H3820 of the sons ^H1121 of men ^H120 are full ^H4392 of evil ^H7451, and madness ^H1947 is in their hearts ^H3824 throughout their lives ^H2416. Afterwards ^H310 they go to the dead ^H4191. 4 For whoever ^H4310 H834 is joined ^H2266 with all ^H3605 the living ^H2416, there ^H3426 is ^H3426 confidence ^H986; surely ^H3588 a live ^H2416 dog ^H3611 is better ^H2896 than ^H4480 a dead ^H4191 lion ^H738. 5 For the living ^H2416 know ^H3045 they will die ^H4191; but the dead ^H4191 do not know ^H3045 anything ^H3972, nor ^H369 have ^H369 they any ^H5750 longer ^H5750 a reward ^H7939, for the memory ^H2143 of them is forgotten ^H7911. 6 Indeed ^H1571 their love ^H160, their hate ^H8135, and their zeal ^H7068 have already ^H3528 perished ^H6, and they will never ^H369 again ^H5750 have ^H369 a portion ^H2506 in all ^H3605 that is done ^H6213 under ^H8478 the sun ^H8121.

7 Go ^H1980 then, eat ^H398 your bread ^H3899 in gladness ^H8057 and drink ^H8354 your wine ^H3196 with a merry ^H2896 heart ^H3820; for God ^H430 has already ^H3528 accepted ^H7521 your works ^H4639. 8 Let your clothes ^H899 be white ^H3836 all ^H3605 the time ^H6256, and let not oil ^H8081 be lacking ^H2637 on your head ^H7218. 9 See ^H7200 life ^H2416 with the woman ^H802 whom ^H834 you love ^H157 all ^H3605 the days ^H3117 of your vain ^H1892 life ^H2416, which ^H834 He has given ^H5414 to you under ^H8478 the sun ^H8121—all ^H3605 the days ^H3117 of your vanity ^H1892; for this ^H1931 is your portion ^H2506 in life ^H2416 and in your labor ^H5999 in which ^H834 you have labored ^H6001 under ^H8478 the sun ^H8121.

Whatever Your Hand Finds to Do

10 Whatever ^H3605 H834 your hand ^H3027 finds ^H4672 to do ^H6213, do ^H6213 it with all your might ^H3581; for there ^H369 is ^H369 no ^H369 working ^H4639 or explaining ^H2808 or knowledge ^H1847 or wisdom ^H2451 in Sheol ^H7585 where ^H834 H8033 you are going ^H1980.

11 I again ^H7725 saw ^H7200 under ^H8478 the sun ^H8121 that the race ^H4793 is not to the swift ^H7031 and the battle ^H4421 is not to the mighty ^H1368, and neither ^H1571 H3808 is bread ^H3899 to the wise ^H2450 nor ^H3808 H1571 riches ^H6239 to the discerning ^H995 nor ^H3808 H1571 favor ^H2580 to men who know ^H3045; for time ^H6256 and misfortune ^H6294 overtake ^H7136 them all ^H3605.

12 Moreover ^H3588 H1571, man ^H120 does not know ^H3045 his time ^H6256: like fish ^H1709 seized ^H270 in an evil ^H7451 net ^H4685 and birds ^H6833 seized ^H270 in a trap ^H6341, so the sons ^H1121 of men ^H120 are ensnared ^H3369 at an evil ^H7451 time ^H6256 when it suddenly ^H6597 falls ^H5307 on them.

13 Also ^H1571 this ^H2090 I came to see ^H7200 as wisdom ^H2451 under ^H8478 the sun ^H8121, and [fn]it was great ^H1419 to me. 14 There was a small ^H6996 city ^H5892 with few ^H4592 men ^H376 in it, and a great ^H1419 king ^H4428 came ^H935 to it, surrounded ^H5437 it, and built ^H1129 large ^H1419 siegeworks ^H4685 against ^H5921 it. 15 But there was found ^H4672 in it a poor ^H4542 wise ^H2450 man ^H376, and he provided ^H4422 a way of escape ^H4422 for the city ^H5892 by his wisdom ^H2451. Yet no ^H3808 one ^H120 remembered ^H2142 that poor ^H4542 man ^H376. 16 So I said ^H559, “Wisdom ^H2451 is better ^H2896 than ^H4480 strength ^H1369.” But the wisdom ^H2451 of the poor ^H4542 man ^H4542 is despised ^H959, and his words ^H1697 are not heard ^H8085. 17 The words ^H1697 of the wise ^H2450 heard ^H8085 in restfulness ^H5183 are better than ^H4480 the shouting ^H2199 of a ruler ^H4910 among fools ^H3684. 18 Wisdom ^H2451 is better ^H2896 than ^H4480 weapons ^H3627 of war ^H7128, but one ^H259 sinner ^H2398 destroys ^H6 much ^H7235 good ^H2896.