Ecclesiastes 9

New American Standard Bible 1995

Men Are in the Hand of God

1For I have takenH5414 allH3605 thisH2088 to my heartH3820 and explainH952 1it that righteousH6662 menH6662, wiseH2450 menH2450, and their deedsH5652 are 2in the handH3027 of GodH430. 3ManH120 does not knowH3045 whetherH1571 it will be 4loveH160 orH1571 hatredH8135; anythingH3605 5awaitsH6440 him.

2 6It is the sameH3512 for allH3605. There is 7oneH259 fateH4745 for the righteousH6662 and for the wickedH7563; for the goodH2896, for the cleanH2889 and for the uncleanH2931; for the man who offersH2076 a sacrificeH2076 and for the one whoH834 does not sacrificeH2076. As the goodH2896 manH2896 is, so is the sinnerH2398; as the swearerH7650 is, so is the one who 8is afraidH3372 to swearH7621. 3ThisH2088 is an evilH7451 in allH3605 that is doneH6213 underH8478 the sunH8121, that there is 9oneH259 fateH4745 for allH3605 menH3605. FurthermoreH1571, 10the heartsH3820 of the sonsH1121 of menH120 are fullH4392 of evilH7451 and 11insanityH1947 is in their heartsH3824 throughout their livesH2425. AfterwardsH310 they go to the deadH4191. 4For whoeverH4310 H834 is joinedH2266 with allH3605 the livingH2416, thereH3426 is hopeH986; surelyH3588 a liveH2416 dogH3611 is betterH2896 thanH4480 a deadH4191 lionH743. 5For the livingH2416 knowH3045 they will dieH4191; but the deadH4191 12do not knowH3045 anythingH3972, norH369 haveH369 they anyH5750 longerH5750 a rewardH7939, for their 13memoryH2143 is forgottenH7911. 6IndeedH1571 their loveH160, their hateH8135 and their zealH7068 have alreadyH3528 perishedH6, and they will noH369 longerH5750 haveH369 a 14shareH2506 in allH3605 that is doneH6213 underH8478 the sunH8121.

7GoH1980 then, 15eatH398 your breadH3899 in happinessH8057 and drinkH8354 your wineH3196 with a cheerfulH2896 heartH3820; for GodH430 has alreadyH3528 approvedH7521 your worksH4639. 8Let your 16clothesH899 be whiteH3836 allH3605 the timeH6256, and let not 17oilH8081 be lackingH2637 on your headH7218. 9EnjoyH7200 lifeH2425 with the womanH802 whomH834 you loveH157 allH3605 the daysH3117 of your 18 19fleetingH1892 lifeH2425 whichH834 He has givenH5414 to you underH8478 the sunH8121 20; for thisH1931 is your 21rewardH2506 in lifeH2425 and in your toilH5999 in whichH834 you have laboredH6001 underH8478 the sunH8121.

Whatever Your Hand Finds to Do

10WhateverH3605 H834 your handH3027 findsH4672 to doH6213, 22doH6213 it with all your mightH3581; for thereH369 is noH369 23activityH4639 or planningH2803 or knowledgeH1847 or wisdomH2451 in 24SheolH7585 whereH834 H8033 you are goingH1980.

11I againH7725 sawH7200 underH8478 the sunH8121 that the 25raceH4793 is not to the swiftH7031 and the 26battleH4421 is not to the warriorsH1368, and neitherH1571 H3808 is breadH3899 to the wiseH2450 norH3808 H1571 27wealthH6239 to the discerningH995 norH3808 H1571 favorH2580 to men of abilityH3045; for timeH6256 and 28chanceH6294 overtakeH7136 them allH3605. 12MoreoverH3588 H1571, manH120 does not 29knowH3045 his timeH6256: like fishH1709 caughtH270 in a treacherousH7451 netH4685 and 30birdsH6833 trappedH270 in a snareH6341, so the sonsH1121 of menH120 are 31ensnaredH3369 at an evilH7451 timeH6256 when it 32suddenlyH6597 fallsH5307 on them.

13AlsoH1571 thisH2090 I came to seeH7200 as wisdomH2451 underH8478 the sunH8121, and 33it impressedH1419 me. 14There 34was a smallH6996 cityH5892 with fewH4592 menH376 in it and a greatH1419 kingH4428 cameH935 to it, surroundedH5437 it and constructedH1129 largeH1419 siegeworksH4685 againstH5921 it. 15But there was foundH4672 in it a 35poorH4542 wiseH2450 manH376 and he 36deliveredH4422 the cityH5892 37by his wisdomH2451. Yet 38noH3808 oneH120 rememberedH2142 that poorH4542 manH376. 16So I saidH559, “39WisdomH2451 is betterH2896 thanH4480 strengthH1369.” But the wisdomH2451 of the poorH4542 manH4542 is despisedH959 and his wordsH1697 are not heededH8085. 17The 40wordsH1697 of the wiseH2450 heardH8085 in quietnessH5183 are better thanH4480 the shoutingH2199 of a rulerH4910 among foolsH3684. 18 41WisdomH2451 is betterH2896 thanH4480 weaponsH3627 of warH7128, but 42oneH259 sinnerH2398 destroysH6 muchH7235 goodH2899.

Notes

1. Ecclesiastes 9:1 Lit all this ↩
2. Ecclesiastes 9:1 Deut 33:3; Job 12:10; Ps 119:109 ↩
3. Ecclesiastes 9:1 Eccl 10:14 ↩
4. Ecclesiastes 9:1 Eccl 9:6 ↩
5. Ecclesiastes 9:1 Lit is before them ↩
6. Ecclesiastes 9:2 Job 9:22; Eccl 9:11 ↩
7. Ecclesiastes 9:2 Eccl 2:14; 3:19; 6:6; 7:2 ↩
8. Ecclesiastes 9:2 Lit fears an oath ↩
9. Ecclesiastes 9:3 Eccl 9:2; Jer 17:10 ↩
10. Ecclesiastes 9:3 Eccl 8:11 ↩
11. Ecclesiastes 9:3 Eccl 1:17 ↩
12. Ecclesiastes 9:5 Job 14:21 ↩
13. Ecclesiastes 9:5 Ps 88:12; Eccl 1:11; 2:16; 8:10; Is 26:14 ↩
14. Ecclesiastes 9:6 Eccl 2:10; 3:22 ↩
15. Ecclesiastes 9:7 Eccl 2:24; 8:15 ↩
16. Ecclesiastes 9:8 Rev 3:4 ↩
17. Ecclesiastes 9:8 Ps 23:5 ↩
18. Ecclesiastes 9:9 Lit life of vanity ↩
19. Ecclesiastes 9:9 Eccl 6:12; 7:15 ↩
20. Ecclesiastes 9:9 Heb adds all the days of your vanity ↩
21. Ecclesiastes 9:9 Eccl 2:10 ↩
22. Ecclesiastes 9:10 Eccl 11:6; Rom 12:11; Col 3:23 ↩
23. Ecclesiastes 9:10 Eccl 9:5 ↩
24. Ecclesiastes 9:10 Gen 37:35; Job 21:13; Is 38:10 ↩
25. Ecclesiastes 9:11 Amos 2:14, 15 ↩
26. Ecclesiastes 9:11 2 Chr 20:15; Ps 76:5; Zech 4:6 ↩
27. Ecclesiastes 9:11 Deut 8:17, 18 ↩
28. Ecclesiastes 9:11 1 Sam 6:9 ↩
29. Ecclesiastes 9:12 Eccl 8:7 ↩
30. Ecclesiastes 9:12 Prov 7:23 ↩
31. Ecclesiastes 9:12 Prov 29:6; Is 24:18; Hos 9:8 ↩
32. Ecclesiastes 9:12 Luke 21:34, 35 ↩
33. Ecclesiastes 9:13 Lit great it was to me ↩
34. Ecclesiastes 9:14 2 Sam 20:16-22 ↩
35. Ecclesiastes 9:15 Eccl 4:13 ↩
36. Ecclesiastes 9:15 Or might have delivered ↩
37. Ecclesiastes 9:15 2 Sam 20:22 ↩
38. Ecclesiastes 9:15 Eccl 2:16; 8:10 ↩
39. Ecclesiastes 9:16 Prov 21:22; Eccl 7:12, 19 ↩
40. Ecclesiastes 9:17 Eccl 7:5; 10:12 ↩
41. Ecclesiastes 9:18 Eccl 9:16 ↩
42. Ecclesiastes 9:18 Josh 7:1-26; 2 Kin 21:2-17 ↩

Men Are in the Hand of God

Whatever Your Hand Finds to Do

Notes

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 9