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Ecclesiastes 9:1--11:6

9:1

For all this I considered
<05414> (8804)

in my heart
<03820>

even to declare
<0952> (8800)

all this, that the righteous
<06662>_,

and the wise
<02450>_,

and their works
<05652>_,

[are] in the hand
<03027>

of God
<0430>_:

no man
<0120>

knoweth
<03045> (8802)

either
<01571>

love
<0160>

or hatred
<08135>

[by] all [that is] before
<06440>

them. {I considered...: Heb. I gave, or, set to my heart}

9:2

All [things come] alike to all: [there is] one
<0259>

event
<04745>

to the righteous
<06662>_,

and to the wicked
<07563>_;

to the good
<02896>

and to the clean
<02889>_,

and to the unclean
<02931>_;

to him that sacrificeth
<02076> (8802)_,

and to him that
<0834>

sacrificeth
<02076> (8802)

not: as [is] the good
<02896>_,

so [is] the sinner
<02398> (8802)_;

[and] he that sweareth
<07650> (8737)_,

as [he] that feareth
<03373>

an oath
<07621>_.

9:3

This [is] an evil
<07451>

among all [things] that are done
<06213> (8738)

under the sun
<08121>_,

that [there is] one
<0259>

event
<04745>

unto all: yea, also the heart
<03820>

of the sons
<01121>

of men
<0120>

is full
<04390> (8804)

of evil
<07451>_,

and madness
<01947>

[is] in their heart
<03824>

while they live
<02416>_,

and after
<0310>

that [they go] to the dead
<04191> (8801)_.

9:4

For
<04310>

to him that is
<03426>

joined
<02266> (8792) (8675) <0977> (8792)

to all the living
<02416>

there is hope
<0986>_:

for a living
<02416>

dog
<03611>

is better
<02896>

than a dead
<04191> (8801)

lion
<0738>_.

9:5

For the living
<02416>

know
<03045> (8802)

that they shall die
<04191> (8799)_:

but the dead
<04191> (8801)

know
<03045> (8802)

not any thing
<03972>_,

neither have they any more a reward
<07939>_;

for the memory
<02143>

of them is forgotten
<07911> (8738)_.

9:6

Also their love
<0160>_,

and their hatred
<08135>_,

and their envy
<07068>_,

is now
<03528>

perished
<06> (8804)_;

neither have they any more a portion
<02506>

for ever
<05769>

in any [thing] that is done
<06213> (8738)

under the sun
<08121>_.

9:7

Go thy way
<03212> (8798)_,

eat
<0398> (8798)

thy bread
<03899>

with joy
<08057>_,

and drink
<08354> (8798)

thy wine
<03196>

with a merry
<02896>

heart
<03820>_;

for God
<0430>

now
<03528>

accepteth
<07521> (8804)

thy works
<04639>_.

9:8

Let thy garments
<0899>

be always
<06256>

white
<03836>_;

and let thy head
<07218>

lack
<02637> (8799)

no ointment
<08081>_.

9:9

Live
<02416>

joyfully
<07200> (8798)

with the wife
<0802>

whom thou lovest
<0157> (8804)

all the days
<03117>

of the life
<02416>

of thy vanity
<01892>_,

which he hath given
<05414> (8804)

thee under the sun
<08121>_,

all the days
<03117>

of thy vanity
<01892>_:

for that [is] thy portion
<02506>

in [this] life
<02416>_,

and in thy labour
<05999>

which thou takest
<06001>

under the sun
<08121>_.

{Live...: Heb. See, or, Enjoy life}

9:10

Whatsoever thy hand
<03027>

findeth
<04672> (8799)

to do
<06213> (8800)_,

do
<06213> (8798)

[it] with thy might
<03581>_;

for [there is] no work
<04639>_,

nor device
<02808>_,

nor knowledge
<01847>_,

nor wisdom
<02451>_,

in the grave
<07585>_,

whither thou goest
<01980> (8802)_.

9:11

I returned
<07725> (8804)_,

and saw
<07200> (8800)

under the sun
<08121>_,

that the race
<04793>

[is] not to the swift
<07031>_,

nor the battle
<04421>

to the strong
<01368>_,

neither yet bread
<03899>

to the wise
<02450>_,

nor yet riches
<06239>

to men of understanding
<0995> (8737)_,

nor yet favour
<02580>

to men of skill
<03045> (8802)_;

but time
<06256>

and chance
<06294>

happeneth
<07136> (8799)

to them all.

9:12

For man
<0120>

also knoweth
<03045> (8799)

not his time
<06256>_:

as the fishes
<01709>

that are taken
<0270> (8737)

in an evil
<07451>

net
<04685>_,

and as the birds
<06833>

that are caught
<0270> (8803)

in the snare
<06341>_;

so
<01992>

[are] the sons
<01121>

of men
<0120>

snared
<03369> (8795)

in an evil
<07451>

time
<06256>_,

when it falleth
<05307> (8799)

suddenly
<06597>

upon them.

9:13

This
<02090>

wisdom
<02451>

have I seen
<07200> (8804)

also under the sun
<08121>_,

and it [seemed] great
<01419>

unto me:

9:14

[There was] a little
<06996>

city
<05892>_,

and few
<04592>

men
<0582>

within it; and there came
<0935> (8804)

a great
<01419>

king
<04428>

against it, and besieged
<05437> (8804)

it, and built
<01129> (8804)

great
<01419>

bulwarks
<04685>

against it:

9:15

Now there was found
<04672> (8804)

in it a poor
<04542>

wise
<02450>

man
<0376>_,

and he by his wisdom
<02451>

delivered
<04422> (8765)

the city
<05892>_;

yet no man
<0120>

remembered
<02142> (8804)

that same poor
<04542>

man
<0376>_.

9:16

Then said
<0559> (8804)

I, Wisdom
<02451>

[is] better
<02896>

than strength
<01369>_:

nevertheless the poor man's
<04542>

wisdom
<02451>

[is] despised
<0959> (8803)_,

and his words
<01697>

are not heard
<08085> (8737)_.

9:17

The words
<01697>

of wise
<02450>

[men are] heard
<08085> (8737)

in quiet
<05183>

more than the cry
<02201>

of him that ruleth
<04910> (8802)

among fools
<03684>_.

9:18

Wisdom
<02451>

[is] better
<02896>

than weapons
<03627>

of war
<07128>_:

but one
<0259>

sinner
<02398> (8802)

destroyeth
<06> (8762)

much
<07235> (8687)

good
<02896>_.

10:1

Dead
<04194>

flies
<02070>

cause the ointment
<08081>

of the apothecary
<07543> (8802)

to send forth
<05042> (8686)

a stinking savour
<0887> (8686)_:

[so doth] a little
<04592>

folly
<05531>

him that is in reputation
<03368>

for wisdom
<02451>

[and] honour
<03519>_.

{Dead...: Heb. Flies of death}

10:2

A wise man's
<02450>

heart
<03820>

[is] at his right hand
<03225>_;

but a fool's
<03684>

heart
<03820>

at his left
<08040>_.

10:3

Yea also, when he that is a fool
<05530>

walketh
<01980> (8802)

by the way
<01870>_,

his wisdom
<03820>

faileth
<02638>

[him], and he saith
<0559> (8804)

to every one [that] he [is] a fool
<05530>_.

{his...: Heb. his heart}

10:4

If the spirit
<07307>

of the ruler
<04910> (8802)

rise up
<05927> (8799)

against thee, leave
<03240> (8686)

not thy place
<04725>_;

for yielding
<04832>

pacifieth
<03240> (8686)

great
<01419>

offences
<02399>_.

10:5

There is
<03426>

an evil
<07451>

[which] I have seen
<07200> (8804)

under the sun
<08121>_,

as an error
<07684>

[which] proceedeth
<03318> (8802)

from
<06440>

the ruler
<07989>_:

{from: Heb. from before}

10:6

Folly
<05529>

is set
<05414> (8738)

in great
<07227>

dignity
<04791>_,

and the rich
<06223>

sit
<03427> (8799)

in low place
<08216>_.

{in great...: Heb. in great heights}

10:7

I have seen
<07200> (8804)

servants
<05650>

upon horses
<05483>_,

and princes
<08269>

walking
<01980> (8802)

as servants
<05650>

upon the earth
<0776>_.

10:8

He that diggeth
<02658> (8802)

a pit
<01475>

shall fall
<05307> (8799)

into it; and whoso breaketh
<06555> (8802)

an hedge
<01447>_,

a serpent
<05175>

shall bite
<05391> (8799)

him.

10:9

Whoso removeth
<05265> (8688)

stones
<068>

shall be hurt
<06087> (8735)

therewith; [and] he that cleaveth
<01234> (8802)

wood
<06086>

shall be endangered
<05533> (8735)

thereby.

10:10

If the iron
<01270>

be blunt
<06949> (8765)_,

and he do not whet
<07043> (8773)

the edge
<06440>_,

then must he put
<01396> (8762)

to more strength
<02428>_:

but wisdom
<02451>

[is] profitable
<03504>

to direct
<03787> (8687)_.

10:11

Surely the serpent
<05175>

will bite
<05391> (8799)

without enchantment
<03908>_;

and a babbler
<03956> <01167>

is no better
<03504>_.

{a babbler: Heb. the master of the tongue}

10:12

The words
<01697>

of a wise man's
<02450>

mouth
<06310>

[are] gracious
<02580>_;

but the lips
<08193>

of a fool
<03684>

will swallow up
<01104> (8762)

himself. {gracious: Heb. grace}

10:13

The beginning
<08462>

of the words
<01697>

of his mouth
<06310>

[is] foolishness
<05531>_:

and the end
<0319>

of his talk
<06310>

[is] mischievous
<07451>

madness
<01948>_.

{his talk: Heb. his mouth}

10:14

A fool
<05530>

also is full
<07235> (8686)

of words
<01697>_:

a man
<0120>

cannot tell
<03045> (8799)

what shall be; and what shall be after
<0310>

him, who can tell
<05046> (8686)

him? {is full...: Heb. multiplieth words}

10:15

The labour
<05999>

of the foolish
<03684>

wearieth
<03021> (8762)

every one of them, because he knoweth
<03045> (8804)

not how to go
<03212> (8800)

to the city
<05892>_.

10:16

Woe
<0337>

to thee, O land
<0776>_,

when thy king
<04428>

[is] a child
<05288>_,

and thy princes
<08269>

eat
<0398> (8799)

in the morning
<01242>_!

10:17

Blessed
<0835>

[art] thou, O land
<0776>_,

when thy king
<04428>

[is] the son
<01121>

of nobles
<02715>_,

and thy princes
<08269>

eat
<0398> (8799)

in due season
<06256>_,

for strength
<01369>_,

and not for drunkenness
<08358>_!

10:18

By much slothfulness
<06103>

the building
<04746>

decayeth
<04355> (8735)_;

and through idleness
<08220>

of the hands
<03027>

the house
<01004>

droppeth through
<01811> (8799)_.

10:19

A feast
<03899>

is made
<06213> (8802)

for laughter
<07814>_,

and wine
<03196>

maketh merry
<08055> (8762) <02416>_:

but money
<03701>

answereth
<06030> (8799)

all [things]. {maketh...: Heb. maketh glad the life}

10:20

Curse
<07043> (8762)

not the king
<04428>_,

no not in thy thought
<04093>_;

and curse
<07043> (8762)

not the rich
<06223>

in thy bedchamber
<02315> <04904>_:

for a bird
<05775>

of the air
<08064>

shall carry
<03212> (8686)

the voice
<06963>_,

and that which hath
<01167>

wings
<03671>

shall tell
<05046> (8686)

the matter
<01697>_.

{thought: or, conscience}

11:1

Cast
<07971> (8761)

thy bread
<03899>

upon
<06440>

the waters
<04325>_:

for thou shalt find
<04672> (8799)

it after many
<07230>

days
<03117>_.

{upon...: Heb. upon the face of the waters}

11:2

Give
<05414> (8798)

a portion
<02506>

to seven
<07651>_,

and also to eight
<08083>_;

for thou knowest
<03045> (8799)

not what evil
<07451>

shall be upon the earth
<0776>_.

11:3

If the clouds
<05645>

be full
<04390> (8735)

of rain
<01653>_,

they empty
<07324> (8686)

[themselves] upon the earth
<0776>_:

and if the tree
<06086>

fall
<05307> (8799)

toward the south
<01864>_,

or toward the north
<06828>_,

in the place
<04725>

where the tree
<06086>

falleth
<05307> (8799)_,

there it shall be
<01933> (8799)_.

11:4

He that observeth
<08104> (8802)

the wind
<07307>

shall not sow
<02232> (8799)_;

and he that regardeth
<07200> (8802)

the clouds
<05645>

shall not reap
<07114> (8799)_.

11:5

As thou knowest
<03045> (8802)

not what [is] the way
<01870>

of the spirit
<07307>_,

[nor] how the bones
<06106>

[do grow] in the womb
<0990>

of her that is with child
<04392>_:

even so thou knowest
<03045> (8799)

not the works
<04639>

of God
<0430>

who maketh
<06213> (8799)

all.

11:6

In the morning
<01242>

sow
<02232> (8798)

thy seed
<02233>_,

and in the evening
<06153>

withhold
<03240> (8686)

not thine hand
<03027>_:

for thou knowest
<03045> (8802)

not whether
<0335>

shall prosper
<03787> (8799)_,

either this or that, or whether they both
<08147>

[shall be] alike
<0259>

good
<02896>_.

{shall prosper: Heb. shall be right}