Ecclesiastes 8
Keep the King’s Command
Who is like the wise?
And who knows the interpretation of a thing?
aA man’s wisdom makes his face shine,
and bthe hardness of his face is changed.
2 I say: Keep the king’s command, because of aGod’s oath to him. 3 Be not hasty to ago from his presence. Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases. 4 For the word of the king is supreme, and awho may say to him, “What are you doing?” 5 Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way. 6 For there is a time and a way afor everything, although man’s trouble lies heavy on him. 7 For he adoes not know what is to be, for bwho can tell him how it will be? 8 No man has power to aretain the spirit, bor power over the day of death. There is no cdischarge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it. 9 aAll this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt.
Those Who Fear God Will Do Well
10 Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of athe holy place and were bpraised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity. 11 Because athe sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, bthe heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. 12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and aprolongs his life, yet I know that bit will be well with cthose who fear God, because they fear before him. 13 But it will anot be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like ba shadow, because he does not fear before God.
Man Cannot Know God’s Ways
14 There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people ato whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people bto whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. 15 And I commend joy, for man ahas nothing better under the sun but to beat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.
16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see athe business that is done on earth, how neither bday nor night do one’s eyes see sleep, 17 then I saw all the work of God, that aman cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, bhe cannot find it out. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.