Ecclesiastes 8:1-14

1Who is as the wiseH2450? and who knoweth the explanation of thingsH1697? A man's wisdomH2451 maketh his faceH6440 to shineH215, and the boldness of his faceH6440 is changed.

2I [say], KeepH8104 the king's commandment, and [that] on account of the oathH7621 of 1GodH430.

3Be not hasty to go out of his sight; persist not in an evilH7451 thingH1697: for he doeth whatever pleaseth him,

4because the wordH1697 of a kingH4428 is power; and who may sayH559 unto him, What doest thou?

5Whoso keepeth the commandmentH4687 shall knowH3045 no evilH7451 thingH1697; and a wiseH2450 man's heartH3820 knoweth timeH6256 and mannerH1697.

6For to every purpose there is timeH6256 and manner. For the misery of manH120 is greatH7227 upon him;

7for he knoweth not that which shall beH1961; for who can tellH5046 him howH4100 it shall beH1961?

8There is no manH120 who hath control over the spiritH7307 to retain the spiritH7307; and no one hath control over the dayH3117 of deathH4194; and there is no discharge in that warH4421, neither shall wickednessH7562 deliverH4422 those that are given to it.

9All this have I seenH7200, and applied my heartH3820 unto every workH4639 that is done under the sunH8121: there is a timeH6256 whenH834 manH120 ruleth manH120 to his hurt.

10And I have alsoH1571 seenH7200 the wickedH7563 buriedH6912 and goingH1980 away; and such as had actedH6213 rightly wentH1980 from [the] holyH6918 placeH4725, and were forgottenH7911 in the cityH5892. This alsoH1571 is vanityH1892.

11Because sentence against an evilH7451 workH4639 is not executed speedily, thereforeH3651 the heartH3820 of the children of menH120 is fully set in them to do evilH7451.

12Though a sinnerH2398 do evilH7451 a hundredH3967 times, and prolongH748 his [days], yet I knowH3045 that it shall beH1961 wellH1571 with them that fearH3372 2GodH430, because they fearH3372 before him;

13but it shall not beH1961 well with the wickedH7563, neither shall he prolongH748 [his] daysH3117 as a shadowH6738, because he feareth not before 3GodH430.

14There is a vanityH1892 which is done upon the earthH776; that there are righteousH6662 [men] unto whom it happeneth according to the workH4639 of the wickedH7563; and there are wickedH7563 [men] to whom it happeneth according to the workH4639 of the righteousH6662. I saidH559 that this alsoH1571 is vanityH1892.