Ecclesiastes 8:4

8:4 Surely the king’s authority ¹  is absolute; ² 

no one can say ³  to him, “What are you doing?”

Ecclesiastes 8:8

8:8 Just as no one has power over the wind to restrain it, ⁴ 

so no one has power over the day of his ⁵  death.

Just as no one can be discharged during the battle, ⁶ 

so wickedness cannot rescue the wicked. ⁷ 

[8:4]  ¹ tn Heb “word.”

[8:4]  ² tn Heb “supreme.”

[8:4]  ³ tn Heb “Who can say…?”

[8:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “There is not a man who has mastery over the wind to restrain the wind.”

[8:8]  ⁵ tn The word “his” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[8:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “There is no discharge in war.”

[8:8]  ⁷ tn Heb “its owners.”