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Ecclesiastes 9

Ecclesiastes

NASB2020

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Ecclesiastes 9

New American Standard Bible 2020

People Are in the Hand of God

1For I have takenH5414 allH3605 thisH2088 to my heartH3820, even to 1examineH952 2it allH3605, that righteousH6662 peopleH6662, wiseH2450 peopleH2450, and their deedsH5652 are 3in the handH3027 of GodH430. 4PeopleH120 do not knowH3045 whetherH1571 it will be 5loveH160 orH1571 hatredH8135; anythingH3605 6awaitsH6440 them.

27It is the sameH3512 for allH3605. There is 8oneH259 fateH4745 for the righteousH6662 and for the wickedH7563; for the goodH2896, for the cleanH2889 and the uncleanH2931; for the person who offersH2076 aH2076 sacrificeH2076 and for the one whoH834 does not sacrificeH2076. As the goodH2896 personH2896 is, so is the sinnerH2398; the one who swearsH7650 an oath is just as the one who 9is afraidH3372 to swear an oathH7621. 3ThisH2088 is an evilH7451 in everythingH3605 that is doneH6213 underH8478 the sunH8121, that there is 10oneH259 fateH4745 for everyoneH3605. FurthermoreH1571, 11the heartsH3820 of the sonsH1121 of mankindH120 are fullH4392 of evilH7451, and 12insanityH1947 is in their heartsH3824 throughout their livesH2425. AfterwardH310 they go to the deadH4191. 4For whoeverH4310H834 is joinedH2266 to allH3605 the livingH2416, thereH3426 isH3426 hopeH986; for betterH2896 a liveH2416 dogH3611, thanH4480 a deadH4191 lionH743. 5For the livingH2416 knowH3045 that they will dieH4191; but the deadH4191 13do not knowH3045 anythingH3972, norH369 do they haveH369 a rewardH7939 anyH5750 longerH5750, for their 14memoryH2143 is forgottenH7911. 6IndeedH1571 their loveH160, their hateH8135, and their zealH7068 have alreadyH3528 perishedH6, and they will noH369 longerH5750 haveH369 a 15shareH2506 in allH3605 that is doneH6213 underH8478 the sunH8121.

7GoH1980 then, 16eatH398 your breadH3899 in happinessH8057, and drinkH8354 your wineH3196 with a cheerfulH2896 heartH3820; for GodH430 has alreadyH3528 approvedH7521 your worksH4639. 8See that your 17clothesH899 are whiteH3836 allH3605 the timeH6256, and that thereH2637 isH2637 noH408 lackH2637 of 18oilH8081 on your headH7218. 919EnjoyH7200 lifeH2425 with the wifeH802 whomH834 you loveH157 allH3605 the daysH3117 of your 20futileH1892 lifeH2425 whichH834 He has givenH5414 you underH8478 the sunH8121, 21allH3605 the daysH3117 of your futilityH1892; for thisH1931 is your 22rewardH2506 in lifeH2425 and in your workH5999 whichH834 you have laboredH6001 underH8478 the sunH8121.

Whatever Your Hand Finds to Do

10WhateverH3605H834 your handH3027 findsH4672 to doH6213, 23doH6213 it with all your mightH3581; for thereH369 isH369 noH369 24activityH4639, planningH2803, knowledgeH1847, or wisdomH2451 in 25SheolH7585 whereH834H8033 you are goingH1980.

11I againH7725 sawH7200 underH8478 the sunH8121 that the 26raceH4793 is not to the swiftH7031 and the 27battleH4421 is not to the warriorsH1368, and neitherH1571H3808 is breadH3899 to the wiseH2450 norH3808H1571 28wealthH6239 to the discerningH995, norH3808H1571 favorH2580 to the skillfulH3045; for timeH6256 and 29chanceH6294 overtakeH7136 them allH3605. 12For indeedH1571, a personH120 does not 30knowH3045 his timeH6256: like fishH1709 that are caughtH270 in a treacherousH7451 netH4685 and 31birdsH6833 caughtH270 in a snareH6341, so the sonsH1121 of mankindH120 are 32ensnaredH3369 at an evilH7451 timeH6256 when it 33suddenlyH6597 fallsH5307 on them.

13ThisH2090 tooH1571 I sawH7200 as wisdomH2451 underH8478 the sunH8121, and 34it impressedH1419 me: 14there 35was 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 36poorH4542 wiseH2450 manH376, and he 37savedH4422 the cityH5892 38by his wisdomH2451. Yet 39noH3808 oneH120 rememberedH2142 that poorH4542 manH376. 16So I saidH559, “40WisdomH2451 is betterH2896 thanH4480 strengthH1369.” But the wisdomH2451 of the poorH4542 manH4542 is despisedH959, and his wordsH1697 are 41ignoredH369H8085. 17The 42wordsH1697 of the wiseH2450 heardH8085 in calmH5183 are better thanH4480 the shoutingH2199 of a rulerH4910 among foolsH3684. 1843WisdomH2451 is betterH2896 thanH4480 weaponsH3627 of warH7128, but 44oneH259 sinnerH2398 destroysH6 muchH7235 goodH2899.

Notes

  1. 1. Ecclesiastes 9:1 Or explain ↩
  2. 2. Ecclesiastes 9:1 Lit all this ↩
  3. 3. Ecclesiastes 9:1 Deut 33:3; Job 12:10; Ps 119:109 ↩
  4. 4. Ecclesiastes 9:1 Eccl 10:14 ↩
  5. 5. Ecclesiastes 9:1 Eccl 9:6 ↩
  6. 6. Ecclesiastes 9:1 Lit is before them ↩
  7. 7. Ecclesiastes 9:2 Job 9:22; Eccl 9:11 ↩
  8. 8. Ecclesiastes 9:2 Eccl 2:14; 3:19; 6:6; 7:2 ↩
  9. 9. Ecclesiastes 9:2 Lit fears an oath ↩
  10. 10. Ecclesiastes 9:3 Eccl 9:2; Jer 17:10 ↩
  11. 11. Ecclesiastes 9:3 Eccl 8:11 ↩
  12. 12. Ecclesiastes 9:3 Eccl 1:17 ↩
  13. 13. Ecclesiastes 9:5 Job 14:21 ↩
  14. 14. Ecclesiastes 9:5 Ps 88:12; Eccl 1:11; 2:16; 8:10; Is 26:14 ↩
  15. 15. Ecclesiastes 9:6 Eccl 2:10; 3:22 ↩
  16. 16. Ecclesiastes 9:7 Eccl 2:24; 8:15 ↩
  17. 17. Ecclesiastes 9:8 Rev 3:4 ↩
  18. 18. Ecclesiastes 9:8 Ps 23:5 ↩
  19. 19. Ecclesiastes 9:9 Lit See ↩
  20. 20. Ecclesiastes 9:9 Eccl 6:12; 7:15 ↩
  21. 21. Ecclesiastes 9:9 all...your futility not found in some ancient versions ↩
  22. 22. Ecclesiastes 9:9 Eccl 2:10 ↩
  23. 23. Ecclesiastes 9:10 Eccl 11:6; Rom 12:11; Col 3:23 ↩
  24. 24. Ecclesiastes 9:10 Eccl 9:5 ↩
  25. 25. Ecclesiastes 9:10 Gen 37:35; Job 21:13; Is 38:10 ↩
  26. 26. Ecclesiastes 9:11 Amos 2:14, 15 ↩
  27. 27. Ecclesiastes 9:11 2 Chr 20:15; Ps 76:5; Zech 4:6 ↩
  28. 28. Ecclesiastes 9:11 Deut 8:17, 18 ↩
  29. 29. Ecclesiastes 9:11 1 Sam 6:9 ↩
  30. 30. Ecclesiastes 9:12 Eccl 8:7 ↩
  31. 31. Ecclesiastes 9:12 Prov 7:23 ↩
  32. 32. Ecclesiastes 9:12 Prov 29:6; Is 24:18; Hos 9:8 ↩
  33. 33. Ecclesiastes 9:12 Luke 21:34, 35 ↩
  34. 34. Ecclesiastes 9:13 Lit it was great to me ↩
  35. 35. Ecclesiastes 9:14 2 Sam 20:16-22 ↩
  36. 36. Ecclesiastes 9:15 Eccl 4:13 ↩
  37. 37. Ecclesiastes 9:15 Or might have saved ↩
  38. 38. Ecclesiastes 9:15 2 Sam 20:22 ↩
  39. 39. Ecclesiastes 9:15 Eccl 2:16; 8:10 ↩
  40. 40. Ecclesiastes 9:16 Prov 21:22; Eccl 7:12, 19 ↩
  41. 41. Ecclesiastes 9:16 Lit not listened to ↩
  42. 42. Ecclesiastes 9:17 Eccl 7:5; 10:12 ↩
  43. 43. Ecclesiastes 9:18 Eccl 9:16 ↩
  44. 44. Ecclesiastes 9:18 Josh 7:1-26; 2 Kin 21:2-17 ↩

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 9

New American Standard Bible 2020 — © 1960–2020 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.