[1] Who is like the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing?
A man`s wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is
changed. [2] I say, "Keep the king`s command!" because of the oath to God.
[3] Don`t be hasty to go out of his presence. Don`t persist in an evil
thing, for he does whatever pleases him, [4] for the king`s word is
supreme. Who can say to him, "What are you doing?" [5] Whoever keeps the
commandment shall not come to harm, and his wise heart will know the time
and procedure. [6] For there is a time and procedure for every purpose,
although the misery of man is heavy on him. [7] For he doesn`t know that
which will be; for who can tell him how it will be? [8] There is no man who
has power over the spirit to contain the spirit; neither does he have power
over the day of death. There is no discharge in war; neither shall
wickedness deliver those who practices it. [9] All this have I seen, and
applied my mind to every work that is done under the sun. There is a time
in which one man has power over another to his hurt. [10] So I saw the
wicked buried. Indeed they came also from holiness. They went and were
forgotten in the city where they did this. This also is vanity. [11]
Because 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. [12] Though a
sinner commits crimes a hundred times, and lives long, yet surely I know
that it will be better with those who fear God, who are reverent before
him. [13] But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he
lengthen days like a shadow; because he doesn`t fear God. [14] There is a
vanity which is done on the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it
happens according to the work of the wicked. Again, there are wicked men to
whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this
also is vanity. [15] Then I commended mirth, because a man has no better
thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be joyful: for that
will accompany him in his labor all the days of his life which God has
given him under the sun. [16] When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and
to see the business that is done on the earth (for also there is that
neither day nor night sees sleep with his eyes), [17] then I saw all the
work of God, that man can`t find out the work that is done under the sun,
because however much a man labors to seek it out, yet he won`t find it.
Yes, moreover, though a wise man thinks he can comprehend it, yet he won`t
be able to find it.
