Ecclesiastes 8
The Message
8 There’s nothing better than being wise,
Knowing how to interpret the meaning of life.
Wisdom puts light in the eyes,
And gives gentleness to words and manners.
No One Can Control the Wind
2-7 Do what your king commands; you gave a sacred oath of obedience. Don’t worryingly second-guess your orders or try to back out when the task is unpleasant. You’re serving his pleasure, not yours. The king has the last word. Who dares say to him, “What are you doing?” Carrying out orders won’t hurt you a bit; the wise person obeys promptly and accurately. Yes, there’s a right time and way for everything, even though, unfortunately, we miss it for the most part. It’s true that no one knows what’s going to happen, or when. Who’s around to tell us?
8 No one can control the wind or lock it in a box.
No one has any say-so regarding the day of death.
No one can stop a battle in its tracks.
No one who does evil can be saved by evil.
9 All this I observed as I tried my best to understand all that’s going on in this world. As long as men and women have the power to hurt each other, this is the way it is.
One Fate for Everybody
10 One time I saw wicked men given a solemn burial in holy ground. When the people returned to the city, they delivered flowery eulogies—and in the very place where wicked acts were done by those very men! More smoke. Indeed.
11 Because the sentence against evil deeds is so long in coming, people in general think they can get by with murder.
12-13 Even though a person sins and gets by with it hundreds of times throughout a long life, I’m still convinced that the good life is reserved for the person who fears God, who lives reverently in his presence, and that the evil person will not experience a “good” life. No matter how many days he lives, they’ll all be as flat and colorless as a shadow—because he doesn’t fear God.
* * *
14 Here’s something that happens all the time and makes no sense at all: Good people get what’s coming to the wicked, and bad people get what’s coming to the good. I tell you, this makes no sense. It’s smoke.
15 So, I’m all for just going ahead and having a good time—the best possible. The only earthly good men and women can look forward to is to eat and drink well and have a good time—compensation for the struggle for survival these few years God gives us on earth.
16-17 When I determined to load up on wisdom and examine everything taking place on earth, I realized that if you keep your eyes open day and night without even blinking, you’ll still never figure out the meaning of what God is doing on this earth. Search as hard as you like, you’re not going to make sense of it. No matter how smart you are, you won’t get to the bottom of it.
Ecclesiastes 8
New American Standard Bible
Obey Rulers
8 Who is like the wise person and who knows the meaning of a matter? A person’s wisdom (A)illuminates his face and makes his (B)stern face [a]brighten up.
2 I say, “Keep the [b]command of the king because of the (C)oath [c]before God. 3 Do not be in a hurry [d](D)to leave him. Do not join in an evil matter, for he will do whatever he pleases.” 4 Since the word of the king is authoritative, (E)who will say to him, “What are you doing?”
5 One who (F)keeps a royal command (G)experiences no [e]trouble, for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure. 6 For (H)there is a proper time and procedure for every delight, though a person’s trouble is heavy upon him. 7 If no one (I)knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen? 8 (J)No one has authority over the wind to restrain the wind, nor authority over the day of death; and there is no military discharge in the time of war, and (K)evil will not save [f]those who practice it. 9 All this I have seen, and have applied my [g]mind to every deed that has been done under the sun at a time when one person has exercised (L)authority over another person to his detriment.
10 So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out of the holy place, and they are (M)soon forgotten in the city where they did such things. This too is futility. 11 Because the (N)sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore (O)the hearts of the sons of mankind among them are [h]fully given to do evil. 12 Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may (P)lengthen his life, still I know that it will go (Q)well for those who fear God, who fear [i]Him openly. 13 But it will (R)not go well for the evil person and he will not lengthen his days like a (S)shadow, because he does not fear God.
14 There is futility which is done on the earth, that is, there are (T)righteous people to whom it [j]happens according to the deeds of the wicked. On the other hand, there are (U)evil people to whom it [k]happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I say that this too is futility. 15 So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for (V)a person under the sun except to eat, drink, and be joyful, and this will stand by him in his labor throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.
16 When I (W)devoted my [l]mind to know wisdom and to see the business which has been done on the earth (even though one should [m](X)never sleep day or night), 17 and I saw every work of God, I concluded that (Y)one cannot discover the work which has been done under the sun. Even though a person laboriously seeks, he will not discover; and (Z)even if the wise person claims to know, he cannot discover.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 8:1 Or change
- Ecclesiastes 8:2 Lit mouth
- Ecclesiastes 8:2 Lit of
- Ecclesiastes 8:3 Lit to go out from his presence
- Ecclesiastes 8:5 Lit evil thing
- Ecclesiastes 8:8 Lit its possessors
- Ecclesiastes 8:9 Lit heart
- Ecclesiastes 8:11 Lit full to do
- Ecclesiastes 8:12 Lit before Him
- Ecclesiastes 8:14 Lit strikes
- Ecclesiastes 8:14 Lit strikes
- Ecclesiastes 8:16 Lit heart
- Ecclesiastes 8:16 Lit see no sleep in his eyes
Ecclesiastes 8
Amplified Bible
Obey Rulers
8 Who is like the wise man?
And who knows the interpretation of a matter?
A man’s wisdom illumines his face,
And causes his stern face to beam.
2 I counsel you to keep the command of the king because of the oath before God [by which you swore loyalty to him].(A) 3 Do not be in a hurry to get out of his presence. Do not join in a malevolent matter, for the king will do whatever he pleases.
4
For the word of a king is authoritative and powerful,
And who will say to him, “What are you doing?”
5
Whoever keeps and observes a royal command will experience neither trouble nor misery;
For a wise heart will know the [a]proper time and [appropriate] procedure.
6
For there is a [b]proper time and [appropriate] procedure for every delight,
Though mankind’s misery and trouble lies heavily upon him [who rebels against the king].
7
For no one knows what will happen;
So who can tell him how and when it will happen?
8
There is no man who has power and authority over the wind to restrain the wind,
Nor does he have authority over the day of death;
There is no discharge [from service] during time of war,
And evil will not rescue those who [actively seek to] practice it.
9 All this I have seen while applying my mind to every deed that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one man has exercised power over others to their detriment.
10 So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out of the holy place [but did not thereby escape their doom], and they are [praised in spite of their evil and] soon forgotten in the city where they did such things. This too is futility (vanity, emptiness). 11 Because the sentence against an evil act is not executed quickly, the hearts of the sons of men are fully set to do evil. 12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and his life [seemingly] is prolonged [in spite of his wickedness], still I know that it will be well with those who [reverently] fear God, who fear and worship Him openly [realizing His omnipresence and His power].(B) 13 But it will not be well for the evil man, nor will he lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God.(C)
14 There is a meaningless and futile thing which is done on the earth: that is, there are righteous men whose gain is as though they were evil, and evil men whose gain is as though they were righteous. I say that this too is futility (meaningless, vain). 15 Then I commended pleasure and enjoyment, because a man [without God] has no better thing under the sun than to eat and to drink and to be merry, for this will stand by him in his toil through the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.
16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to see the activities [of mankind] that take place upon the earth—how some men seem to sleep neither day nor night— 17 and I saw all the work of God, I concluded that man cannot discover the work that is done under the sun. Even though man may labor in seeking, he will not discover; and [more than that], though a wise man thinks and claims he knows, he will not be able to find it out.(D)
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 8:5 Lit time and judgment.
- Ecclesiastes 8:6 Lit time and judgment.
Ecclesiastes 8
King James Version
8 Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.
2 I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.
3 Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
4 Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
5 Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.
6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.
7 For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?
8 There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.
9 All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.
10 And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also 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 do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:
13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.
14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.
15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.
16 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:)
17 Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea farther; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.