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Ecclesiastes 7-12
English Standard Version
Ecclesiastes 7-12
English Standard Version
The Contrast of Wisdom and Folly
7 (A)A good name is better than precious ointment,
and (B)the day of death than the day of birth.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning
than to go to the house of feasting,
for this is the end of all mankind,
and the living will (C)lay it to heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter,
(D)for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 It is (E)better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise
than to hear the song of fools.
6 (F)For as the crackling of (G)thorns under a pot,
so is the laughter of the fools;
this also is vanity.[a]
7 Surely (H)oppression drives the wise into madness,
and (I)a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning,
and (J)the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 (K)Be not quick in your spirit to become angry,
(L)for anger lodges in the heart[b] of fools.
10 Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?”
For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.
11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance,
an advantage to those who (M)see the sun.
12 For the protection of wisdom is like (N)the protection of money,
and the advantage of knowledge is that (O)wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
13 Consider (P)the work of God:
(Q)who can make straight what he has made crooked?
14 (R)In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, (S)so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.
15 In my (T)vain[c] life I have seen everything. There is (U)a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who (V)prolongs his life in his evildoing. 16 Be not overly righteous, and do not (W)make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? 17 Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. (X)Why should you die before your time? 18 It is good that you should take hold of (Y)this, and from (Z)that (AA)withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.
19 (AB)Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
20 Surely (AC)there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
21 Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear (AD)your servant cursing you. 22 Your heart knows that (AE)many times you yourself have cursed others.
23 All this I have tested by wisdom. (AF)I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me. 24 That which has been is far off, and (AG)deep, very deep; (AH)who can find it out?
25 (AI)I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness. 26 And I find something more (AJ)bitter than death: (AK)the woman whose heart is (AL)snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but (AM)the sinner is taken by her. 27 Behold, this is what I found, says (AN)the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things— 28 which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. (AO)One man among a thousand I found, but (AP)a woman among all these I have not found. 29 See, this alone I found, that (AQ)God made man upright, but (AR)they have sought out many schemes.
Keep the King's Command
8 Who is like the wise?
And who knows the interpretation of a thing?
(AS)A man's wisdom makes his face shine,
and (AT)the hardness of his face is changed.
2 I say:[d] Keep the king's command, because of (AU)God's oath to him.[e] 3 Be not hasty to (AV)go 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 (AW)who 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.[f] 6 For there is a time and a way (AX)for everything, although man's trouble[g] lies heavy on him. 7 For he (AY)does not know what is to be, for (AZ)who can tell him how it will be? 8 No man has power to (BA)retain the spirit, (BB)or power over the day of death. There is no (BC)discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it. 9 (BD)All 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 (BE)the holy place and were (BF)praised[h] in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity.[i] 11 Because (BG)the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, (BH)the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. 12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and (BI)prolongs his life, yet I know that (BJ)it will be well with (BK)those who fear God, because they fear before him. 13 But it will (BL)not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like (BM)a 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 (BN)to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people (BO)to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. 15 And I commend joy, for man (BP)has nothing better under the sun but to (BQ)eat 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 (BR)the business that is done on earth, how neither (BS)day nor night do one's eyes see sleep, 17 then I saw all the work of God, that (BT)man 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, (BU)he cannot find it out.
Death Comes to All
9 But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, (BV)how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are (BW)in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him. 2 (BX)It is the same for all, since (BY)the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil,[j] to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who (BZ)swears is as he who shuns an oath. 3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that (CA)the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and (CB)madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. 4 But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they will die, but (CC)the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for (CD)the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.
Enjoy Life with the One You Love
7 Go, (CE)eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.
8 (CF)Let your garments be always white. Let not (CG)oil be lacking on your head.
9 Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your (CH)vain[k] life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your (CI)portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, (CJ)do it with your might,[l] (CK)for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.
Wisdom Better Than Folly
11 (CL)Again I saw that under the sun (CM)the race is not to the swift, nor (CN)the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and (CO)chance (CP)happen to them all. 12 For man (CQ)does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and (CR)like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are (CS)snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.
13 I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. 14 There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. 15 But there was found in it (CT)a poor, wise man, and he by his (CU)wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. 16 But I say that (CV)wisdom is better than might, though (CW)the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.
17 The words of the wise heard in (CX)quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. 18 (CY)Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but (CZ)one sinner destroys much good.
10 Dead flies make (DA)the perfumer's ointment give off a stench;
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2 (DB)A wise man's heart inclines him to the right,
but a fool's heart to the left.
3 Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense,
and he (DC)says to everyone that he is a fool.
4 If the anger of the ruler rises against you, (DD)do not leave your place,
(DE)for calmness[m] will lay great offenses to rest.
5 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were (DF)an error proceeding from the ruler: 6 (DG)folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place. 7 (DH)I have seen slaves (DI)on horses, and princes walking on the ground like slaves.
8 He who (DJ)digs a pit will fall into it,
and (DK)a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall.
9 (DL)He who quarries stones is hurt by them,
and he who (DM)splits logs is endangered by them.
10 If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge,
he must use more strength,
but wisdom helps one to succeed.[n]
11 If the serpent bites before it is (DN)charmed,
there is no advantage to the charmer.
12 The words of a wise man's mouth (DO)win him favor,[o]
but (DP)the lips of a fool consume him.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness,
and the end of his talk is evil madness.
14 (DQ)A fool multiplies words,
though no man knows what is to be,
and who can tell him (DR)what will be after him?
15 The toil of a fool wearies him,
for he does not know (DS)the way to the city.
16 (DT)Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child,
and your princes feast in the morning!
17 Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility,
and your princes feast at the proper time,
for strength, and not for (DU)drunkenness!
18 Through sloth the roof sinks in,
and through indolence the house leaks.
19 Bread is made for laughter,
and (DV)wine gladdens life,
and (DW)money answers everything.
20 Even in your thoughts, (DX)do not curse the king,
nor in your (DY)bedroom curse the rich,
for a bird of the air will carry your voice,
or some winged creature tell the matter.
Cast Your Bread upon the Waters
11 (DZ)Cast your bread upon the waters,
(EA)for you will find it after many days.
2 (EB)Give a portion to (EC)seven, or even to eight,
(ED)for you know not what disaster may happen on earth.
3 If the clouds are full of rain,
they empty themselves on the earth,
and if a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.
4 He who observes the wind will not sow,
and he who regards the clouds will not reap.
5 As you do not know the way (EE)the spirit comes to (EF)the bones in the womb[p] of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.
6 In the morning sow your seed, and at evening (EG)withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.
7 Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to (EH)see the sun.
8 So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember (EI)that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is (EJ)vanity.[q]
9 (EK)Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. (EL)Walk in the ways of your heart and (EM)the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things (EN)God will bring you into judgment.
10 Remove vexation from your heart, and (EO)put away pain[r] from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.
Remember Your Creator in Your Youth
12 Remember also your Creator in (EP)the days of your youth, before (EQ)the evil days come and the years draw near of which (ER)you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; 2 before (ES)the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, 3 in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and (ET)those who look through the windows are dimmed, 4 and (EU)the doors on the street are shut—when (EV)the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all (EW)the daughters of song are brought low— 5 they are afraid also of what is high, and (EX)terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along,[s] and desire fails, because man is going to his (EY)eternal (EZ)home, and the (FA)mourners go about the streets— 6 before the silver cord is snapped, or (FB)the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is (FC)shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, 7 and (FD)the dust returns to the earth as it was, and (FE)the spirit returns to God (FF)who gave it. 8 (FG)Vanity[t] of vanities, says (FH)the Preacher; all is vanity.
Fear God and Keep His Commandments
9 Besides being wise, (FI)the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging (FJ)many proverbs with great care. 10 (FK)The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth.
11 (FL)The words of the wise are like goads, and like (FM)nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are (FN)given by (FO)one Shepherd. 12 My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making (FP)many books there is no end, and (FQ)much study is a weariness of the flesh.
13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. (FR)Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.[u] 14 For (FS)God will bring every deed into judgment, with[v] every secret thing, whether good or evil.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 7:6 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)
- Ecclesiastes 7:9 Hebrew in the bosom
- Ecclesiastes 7:15 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)
- Ecclesiastes 8:2 Hebrew lacks say
- Ecclesiastes 8:2 Or because of your oath to God
- Ecclesiastes 8:5 Or and judgment
- Ecclesiastes 8:6 Or evil
- Ecclesiastes 8:10 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts forgotten
- Ecclesiastes 8:10 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also twice in verse 14 (see note on 1:2)
- Ecclesiastes 9:2 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew lacks and the evil
- Ecclesiastes 9:9 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)
- Ecclesiastes 9:10 Or finds to do with your might, do it
- Ecclesiastes 10:4 Hebrew healing
- Ecclesiastes 10:10 Or wisdom is an advantage for success
- Ecclesiastes 10:12 Or are gracious
- Ecclesiastes 11:5 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Targum; most Hebrew manuscripts As you do not know the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb
- Ecclesiastes 11:8 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verse 10 (see note on 1:2)
- Ecclesiastes 11:10 Or evil
- Ecclesiastes 12:5 Or is a burden
- Ecclesiastes 12:8 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (three times in this verse); see note on 1:2
- Ecclesiastes 12:13 Or the duty of all mankind
- Ecclesiastes 12:14 Or into the judgment on
Ecclesiastes 7-12
New International Version
Ecclesiastes 7-12
New International Version
Wisdom
7 A good name is better than fine perfume,(A)
and the day of death better than the day of birth.(B)
2 It is better to go to a house of mourning
than to go to a house of feasting,
for death(C) is the destiny(D) of everyone;
the living should take this to heart.
3 Frustration is better than laughter,(E)
because a sad face is good for the heart.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.(F)
5 It is better to heed the rebuke(G) of a wise person
than to listen to the song of fools.
6 Like the crackling of thorns(H) under the pot,
so is the laughter(I) of fools.
This too is meaningless.
7 Extortion turns a wise person into a fool,
and a bribe(J) corrupts the heart.
8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning,
and patience(K) is better than pride.
9 Do not be quickly provoked(L) in your spirit,
for anger resides in the lap of fools.(M)
10 Do not say, “Why were the old days(N) better than these?”
For it is not wise to ask such questions.
11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing(O)
and benefits those who see the sun.(P)
12 Wisdom is a shelter
as money is a shelter,
but the advantage of knowledge is this:
Wisdom preserves those who have it.
13 Consider what God has done:(Q)
Who can straighten
what he has made crooked?(R)
14 When times are good, be happy;
but when times are bad, consider this:
God has made the one
as well as the other.(S)
Therefore, no one can discover
anything about their future.
15 In this meaningless life(T) of mine I have seen both of these:
the righteous perishing in their righteousness,
and the wicked living long in their wickedness.(U)
16 Do not be overrighteous,
neither be overwise—
why destroy yourself?
17 Do not be overwicked,
and do not be a fool—
why die before your time?(V)
18 It is good to grasp the one
and not let go of the other.
Whoever fears God(W) will avoid all extremes.[a]
20 Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous,(Z)
no one who does what is right and never sins.(AA)
21 Do not pay attention to every word people say,
or you(AB) may hear your servant cursing you—
22 for you know in your heart
that many times you yourself have cursed others.
23 All this I tested by wisdom and I said,
“I am determined to be wise”(AC)—
but this was beyond me.
24 Whatever exists is far off and most profound—
who can discover it?(AD)
25 So I turned my mind to understand,
to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things(AE)
and to understand the stupidity of wickedness
and the madness of folly.(AF)
26 I find more bitter than death
the woman who is a snare,(AG)
whose heart is a trap
and whose hands are chains.
The man who pleases God will escape her,
but the sinner she will ensnare.(AH)
27 “Look,” says the Teacher,[b](AI) “this is what I have discovered:
“Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things—
28 while I was still searching
but not finding—
I found one upright man among a thousand,
but not one upright woman(AJ) among them all.
29 This only have I found:
God created mankind upright,
but they have gone in search of many schemes.”
8 Who is like the wise?
Who knows the explanation of things?
A person’s wisdom brightens their face
and changes its hard appearance.
Obey the King
2 Obey the king’s command, I say, because you took an oath before God. 3 Do not be in a hurry to leave the king’s presence.(AK) Do not stand up for a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases. 4 Since a king’s word is supreme, who can say to him, “What are you doing?(AL)”
5 Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm,
and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.
6 For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter,(AM)
though a person may be weighed down by misery.
7 Since no one knows the future,
who can tell someone else what is to come?
8 As no one has power over the wind to contain it,
so[c] no one has power over the time of their death.
As no one is discharged in time of war,
so wickedness will not release those who practice it.
9 All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is a time when a man lords it over others to his own[d] hurt. 10 Then too, I saw the wicked buried(AN)—those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise[e] in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless.
11 When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong. 12 Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better(AO) with those who fear God,(AP) who are reverent before him.(AQ) 13 Yet because the wicked do not fear God,(AR) it will not go well with them, and their days(AS) will not lengthen like a shadow.
14 There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve.(AT) This too, I say, is meaningless.(AU) 15 So I commend the enjoyment of life(AV), because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink(AW) and be glad.(AX) Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.
16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom(AY) and to observe the labor that is done on earth(AZ)—people getting no sleep day or night— 17 then I saw all that God has done.(BA) No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it.(BB)
A Common Destiny for All
9 So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them.(BC) 2 All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad,[f] the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.
As it is with the good,
so with the sinful;
as it is with those who take oaths,
so with those who are afraid to take them.(BD)
3 This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all.(BE) The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live,(BF) and afterward they join the dead.(BG) 4 Anyone who is among the living has hope[g]—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!
5 For the living know that they will die,
but the dead know nothing;(BH)
they have no further reward,
and even their name(BI) is forgotten.(BJ)
6 Their love, their hate
and their jealousy have long since vanished;
never again will they have a part
in anything that happens under the sun.(BK)
7 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine(BL) with a joyful heart,(BM) for God has already approved what you do. 8 Always be clothed in white,(BN) and always anoint your head with oil. 9 Enjoy life with your wife,(BO) whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot(BP) in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. 10 Whatever(BQ) your hand finds to do, do it with all your might,(BR) for in the realm of the dead,(BS) where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.(BT)
11 I have seen something else under the sun:
The race is not to the swift
or the battle to the strong,(BU)
nor does food come to the wise(BV)
or wealth to the brilliant
or favor to the learned;
but time and chance(BW) happen to them all.(BX)
12 Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come:
As fish are caught in a cruel net,
or birds are taken in a snare,
so people are trapped by evil times(BY)
that fall unexpectedly upon them.(BZ)
Wisdom Better Than Folly
13 I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom(CA) that greatly impressed me: 14 There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it. 15 Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man.(CB) 16 So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.(CC)
17 The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded
than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
18 Wisdom(CD) is better than weapons of war,
but one sinner destroys much good.
10 As dead flies give perfume a bad smell,
so a little folly(CE) outweighs wisdom and honor.
2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right,
but the heart of the fool to the left.
3 Even as fools walk along the road,
they lack sense
and show everyone(CF) how stupid they are.
4 If a ruler’s anger rises against you,
do not leave your post;(CG)
calmness can lay great offenses to rest.(CH)
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun,
the sort of error that arises from a ruler:
6 Fools are put in many high positions,(CI)
while the rich occupy the low ones.
7 I have seen slaves on horseback,
while princes go on foot like slaves.(CJ)
8 Whoever digs a pit may fall into it;(CK)
whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.(CL)
9 Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them;
whoever splits logs may be endangered by them.(CM)
10 If the ax is dull
and its edge unsharpened,
more strength is needed,
but skill will bring success.
11 If a snake bites before it is charmed,
the charmer receives no fee.(CN)
12 Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious,(CO)
but fools are consumed by their own lips.(CP)
13 At the beginning their words are folly;
at the end they are wicked madness—
14 and fools multiply words.(CQ)
No one knows what is coming—
who can tell someone else what will happen after them?(CR)
15 The toil of fools wearies them;
they do not know the way to town.
16 Woe to the land whose king was a servant[h](CS)
and whose princes feast in the morning.
17 Blessed is the land whose king is of noble birth
and whose princes eat at a proper time—
for strength and not for drunkenness.(CT)
18 Through laziness, the rafters sag;
because of idle hands, the house leaks.(CU)
19 A feast is made for laughter,
wine(CV) makes life merry,
and money is the answer for everything.
20 Do not revile the king(CW) even in your thoughts,
or curse the rich in your bedroom,
because a bird in the sky may carry your words,
and a bird on the wing may report what you say.
Invest in Many Ventures
11 Ship(CX) your grain across the sea;
after many days you may receive a return.(CY)
2 Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight;
you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
3 If clouds are full of water,
they pour rain on the earth.
Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where it falls, there it will lie.
4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant;
whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.
5 As you do not know the path of the wind,(CZ)
or how the body is formed[i] in a mother’s womb,(DA)
so you cannot understand the work of God,
the Maker of all things.
6 Sow your seed in the morning,
and at evening let your hands not be idle,(DB)
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well.
Remember Your Creator While Young
7 Light is sweet,
and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.(DC)
8 However many years anyone may live,
let them enjoy them all.
But let them remember(DD) the days of darkness,
for there will be many.
Everything to come is meaningless.
9 You who are young, be happy while you are young,
and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.
Follow the ways of your heart
and whatever your eyes see,
but know that for all these things
God will bring you into judgment.(DE)
10 So then, banish anxiety(DF) from your heart
and cast off the troubles of your body,
for youth and vigor are meaningless.(DG)
12 Remember(DH) your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble(DI) come
and the years approach when you will say,
“I find no pleasure in them”—
2 before the sun and the light
and the moon and the stars grow dark,
and the clouds return after the rain;
3 when the keepers of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
and those looking through the windows grow dim;
4 when the doors to the street are closed
and the sound of grinding fades;
when people rise up at the sound of birds,
but all their songs grow faint;(DJ)
5 when people are afraid of heights
and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
and the grasshopper drags itself along
and desire no longer is stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home(DK)
and mourners(DL) go about the streets.
6 Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,
and the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
and the wheel broken at the well,
7 and the dust returns(DM) to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God(DN) who gave it.(DO)
The Conclusion of the Matter
9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs.(DR) 10 The Teacher(DS) searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.(DT)
11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails(DU)—given by one shepherd.[k] 12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.
Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.(DV)
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 7:18 Or will follow them both
- Ecclesiastes 7:27 Or the leader of the assembly
- Ecclesiastes 8:8 Or over the human spirit to retain it, / and so
- Ecclesiastes 8:9 Or to their
- Ecclesiastes 8:10 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (Aquila); most Hebrew manuscripts and are forgotten
- Ecclesiastes 9:2 Septuagint (Aquila), Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew does not have and the bad.
- Ecclesiastes 9:4 Or What then is to be chosen? With all who live, there is hope
- Ecclesiastes 10:16 Or king is a child
- Ecclesiastes 11:5 Or know how life (or the spirit) / enters the body being formed
- Ecclesiastes 12:8 Or the leader of the assembly; also in verses 9 and 10
- Ecclesiastes 12:11 Or Shepherd
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.