Ecclesiastes Chapter 8
1 Who is wise? Who knows the meaning of a thing? Wisdom makes one's face to shine and the boldness of one's face will be changed.
2 I say, keep the king's word, and that because of the oath of God.
3 Do not be hasty to leave his presence. Do not take a stand in an evil thing. For he does whatever pleases him.
4 Because the word of a king is what has power. Who may say to him, What are you doing?
5 Whoever keeps the command will feel no evil thing. A wise person's heart knows both time and judgment.
6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment. Therefore the misery of man is great on him.
7 For he does not know what will be. Who can tell when it will be?
8 There is no one who has power over the spirit to keep the spirit, nor power in the day of death. There is no discharge in that war, nor will wickedness deliver its owners.
9 All this I have seen and I gave my heart to every work that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one person rules over another to their own hurt.
10 I saw the wicked buried and they came and went from the holy place. They were forgotten in the city, the things that they had done. This is also vanity.
11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily. Therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
12 Though a sinner does evil 100 times and his days are made longer, yet surely I know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him.
13 But it will not be well with the wicked, nor will their days be longer like a shadow because they do not fear before God.
14 There is a vanity that is done on the earth. There are just ones to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked. Again, there are wicked ones to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.
15 Then I recommend mirth. Because a person has nothing better thing under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry. For that will go with us from our labor for the days of our life that God gives us under the sun.
16 I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on the earth. For neither day nor night does anyone see sleep with their eyes.
17 Then I looked at all the work of God. No one can find all the work that is done under the sun. Because though one labors to seek it out, yet one will not find it. Though a wise one speaks of knowing, yet one will not be able to find it.