Eclesiastés 9
Bible in Basic English
1All this I took to heart, and my heart saw it all: that the upright and the wise and their works are in the hand of God; and men may not be certain if it will be love or hate; all is to no purpose before them.
2Because to all there is one event, to the upright man and to the evil, to the clean and to the unclean, to him who makes an offering and to him who makes no offering; as is the good so is the sinner; he who takes an oath is as he who has fear of it.
3This is evil in all things which are done under the sun: that there is one fate for all, and the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; while they have life their hearts are foolish, and after that — to the dead.
4For him who is joined to all the living there is hope; a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5The living are conscious that death will come to them, but the dead are not conscious of anything, and they no longer have a reward, because there is no memory of them.
6Their love and their hate and their envy are now ended; and they have no longer a part for ever in anything which is done under the sun.
7Come, take your bread with joy, and your wine with a glad heart. God has taken pleasure in your works.
8Let your clothing be white at all times, and let not your head be without oil.
9Have joy with the woman of your love all the days of your foolish life which he gives you under the sun. Because that is your part in life and in your work which you do under the sun.
10Whatever comes to your hand to do with all your power, do it because there is no work, or thought, or knowledge, or wisdom in the place of the dead to which you are going.
11And again I saw under the sun that the reward goes not to him who is quick, or the fruits of war to the strong; and there is no bread for the wise, or wealth for men of learning, or respect for those who have knowledge; but time and chance come to all.
12Even man has no knowledge of his time; like fishes taken in an evil net, or like birds taken by deceit, are the sons of men taken in an evil time when it comes suddenly on them.
13This again I have seen under the sun as wisdom and it seemed great to me.
14There was a little town and the number of its men was small, and there came a great king against it and made an attack on it, building works of war round about it.
15Now there was in the town a poor, wise man, and he, by his wisdom, kept the town safe. But no one had any memory of that same poor man.
16Then I said, Wisdom is better than strength, but the poor man's wisdom is not respected, and his words are not given a hearing.
17The words of the wise which come quietly to the ear are noted more than the cry of a ruler among the foolish.
18Wisdom is better than instruments of war, but one sinner is the destruction of much good.
Reina-Valera 1909
1CIERTAMENTE dado he mi corazón á todas estas cosas, para declarar todo esto: que los justos y los sabios, y sus obras, están en la mano de Dios; y que no sabe el hombre ni el amor ni el odio por todo lo que pasa delante de él.
2Todo acontece de la misma manera á todos: un mismo suceso ocurre al justo y al impío; al bueno y al limpio y al no limpio; al que sacrifica, y al que no sacrifica: como el bueno, así el que peca; el que jura, como el que teme el juramento.
3Este mal hay entre todo lo que se hace debajo del sol, que todos tengan un mismo suceso, y también que el corazón de los hijos de los hombres esté lleno de mal, y de enloquecimiento en su corazón durante su vida: y después, á los muertos.
4Aun hay esperanza para todo aquél que está entre los vivos; porque mejor es perro vivo que león muerto.
5Porque los que viven saben que han de morir: mas los muertos nada saben, ni tienen más paga; porque su memoria es puesta en olvido.
6También su amor, y su odio y su envidia, feneció ya: ni tiene ya más parte en el siglo, en todo lo que se hace debajo del sol.
7Anda, y come tu pan con gozo, y bebe tu vino con alegre corazón: porque tus obras ya son agradables á Dios.
8En todo tiempo sean blancos tus vestidos, y nunca falte ungüento sobre tu cabeza.
9Goza de la vida con la mujer que amas, todos los días de la vida de tu vanidad, que te son dados debajo del sol, todos los días de tu vanidad; porque esta es tu parte en la vida, y en tu trabajo con que te afanas debajo del sol.
10Todo lo que te viniere á la mano para hacer, hazlo según tus fuerzas; porque en el sepulcro, adonde tú vas, no hay obra, ni industria, ni ciencia, ni sabiduría.
11Tornéme, y vi debajo del sol, que ni es de los ligeros la carrera, ni la guerra de los fuertes, ni aun de los sabios el pan, ni de los prudentes las riquezas, ni de los elocuentes el favor; sino que tiempo y ocasión acontece á todos.
12Porque el hombre tampoco conoce su tiempo: como los peces que son presos en la mala red, y como las aves que se prenden en lazo, así son enlazados los hijos de los hombres en el tiempo malo, cuando cae de repente sobre ellos.
13También vi esta sabiduría debajo del sol, la cual me parece grande:
14Una pequeña ciudad, y pocos hombres en ella; y viene contra ella un gran rey, y cércala, y edifica contra ella grandes baluartes:
15Y hállase en ella un hombre pobre, sabio, el cual libra la ciudad con su sabiduría; y nadie se acordaba de aquel pobre hombre.
16Entonces dije yo: Mejor es la sabiduría que la fortaleza; aunque la ciencia del pobre sea menospreciada, y no sean escuchadas sus palabras.
17Las palabras del sabio con reposo son oídas, más que el clamor del señor entre los necios.
18Mejor es la sabiduría que las armas de guerra; mas un pecador destruye mucho bien.
King James Version
1For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.
2All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
3This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
4For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
6Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
7Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
8Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
9Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
10Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
11I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
12For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
13This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:
14There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:
15Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
16Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
17The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
18Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.
World English Bible
1For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn’t know it; all is before them.
2All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn’t sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath, as he who fears an oath.
3This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all. Yes also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
4For to him who is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten.
6Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither do they any longer have a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.
7Go your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works.
8Let your garments be always white, and don’t let your head lack oil.
9Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity, for that is your portion in life, and in your labor in which you labor under the sun.
10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going.
11I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.
12For man also doesn’t know his time. As the fish that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them.
13I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to me.
14There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.
15Now a poor wise man was found in it, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
16Then I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
17The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules among fools.
18Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.