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Take Life as It Comes

9All this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hate one does not know. Everything that confronts them ²is vanity,^* since the same fate comes to all, to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil,^* to the clean and the unclean, to those who sacrifice and those who do not sacrifice. As are the good, so are the sinners; those who swear are like those who shun an oath. ³This is an evil in all that happens under the sun, that the same fate comes to everyone. Moreover, the hearts of all are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. ⁴But whoever is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. ⁵The living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no more reward, and even the memory of them is lost. ⁶Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished; never again will they have any share in all that happens under the sun.

7 Go, eat your bread with enjoyment, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has long ago approved what you do. ⁸Let your garments always be white; do not let oil be lacking on your head. ⁹Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that are given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. ¹⁰Whatever your hand finds to do, do with your might; for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

11 Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favour to the skilful; but time and chance happen to them all. ¹²For no one can anticipate the time of disaster. Like fish taken in a cruel net, and like birds caught in a snare, so mortals are snared at a time of calamity, when it suddenly falls upon them.

Wisdom Superior to Folly

13 I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed important to me. ¹⁴There was a little city with few people in it. A great king came against it and besieged it, building great siege-works against it. ¹⁵Now there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. ¹⁶So I said, ‘Wisdom is better than might; yet the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heeded.’
¹⁷ The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded
   than the shouting of a ruler among fools.
¹⁸ Wisdom is better than weapons of war,
   but one bungler destroys much good.

Miscellaneous Observations

10Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a foul odour;
   so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honour.
² The heart of the wise inclines to the right,
   but the heart of a fool to the left.
³ Even when fools walk on the road, they lack sense,
   and show to everyone that they are fools.
⁴ If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your post,
   for calmness will undo great offences.

5 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as great an error as if it proceeded from the ruler: ⁶folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place. ⁷I have seen slaves on horseback, and princes walking on foot like slaves.
⁸ Whoever digs a pit will fall into it;
   and whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a snake.
⁹ Whoever quarries stones will be hurt by them;
   and whoever splits logs will be endangered by them.
¹⁰ If the iron is blunt, and one does not whet the edge,
   then more strength must be exerted;
   but wisdom helps one to succeed.
¹¹ If the snake bites before it is charmed,
   there is no advantage in a charmer.

¹² Words spoken by the wise bring them favour,
   but the lips of fools consume them.
¹³ The words of their mouths begin in foolishness,
   and their talk ends in wicked madness;
¹⁴ yet fools talk on and on.
   No one knows what is to happen,
   and who can tell anyone what the future holds?
¹⁵ The toil of fools wears them out,
   for they do not even know the way to town.

¹⁶ Alas for you, O land, when your king is a servant,^*
   and your princes feast in the morning!
¹⁷ Happy are you, O land, when your king is a nobleman,
   and your princes feast at the proper time—
   for strength, and not for drunkenness!
¹⁸ Through sloth the roof sinks in,
   and through indolence the house leaks.
¹⁹ Feasts are made for laughter;
   wine gladdens life,
   and money meets every need.
²⁰ Do not curse the king, even in your thoughts,
   or curse the rich, even in your bedroom;
for a bird of the air may carry your voice,
   or some winged creature tell the matter.

The Value of Diligence

11Send out your bread upon the waters,
   for after many days you will get it back.
² Divide your means seven ways, or even eight,
   for you do not know what disaster may happen on earth.
³ When clouds are full,
   they empty rain on the earth;
whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
   in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.
⁴ Whoever observes the wind will not sow;
   and whoever regards the clouds will not reap.

5 Just as you do not know how the breath comes to the bones in the mother’s womb, so you do not know the work of God, who makes everything.

6 In the morning sow your seed, and at evening do not let your hands be idle; for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.

Youth and Old Age

7 Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.

8 Even those who live for many years should rejoice in them all; yet let them remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.

9 Rejoice, young man, while you are young, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Follow the inclination of your heart and the desire of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgement.

10 Banish anxiety from your mind, and put away pain from your body; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

12Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come, and the years draw near when you will say, ‘I have no pleasure in them’; ²before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return with^* the rain; ³on the day when the guards of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the women who grind cease working because they are few, and those who look through the windows see dimly; ⁴when the doors on the street are shut, and the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low; ⁵when one is afraid of heights, and terrors are in the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along^* and desire fails; because all must go to their eternal home, and the mourners will go about the streets; ⁶before the silver cord is snapped,^* and the golden bowl is broken, and the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and the wheel broken at the cistern, ⁷and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the breath^* returns to God who gave it. ⁸Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher;^* all is vanity.

Epilogue

9 Besides being wise, the Teacher^* also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs. ¹⁰The Teacher^* sought to find pleasing words, and he wrote words of truth plainly.

11 The sayings of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings that are given by one shepherd.^{* 12}Of anything beyond these, my child, beware. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for that is the whole duty of everyone. ¹⁴For God will bring every deed into judgement, including^* every secret thing, whether good or evil.