NASB — Ecclesiastes 9 — KJV

Men Are in the Hand of God

1 For I have taken° all° this° to my heart° and explain° Iit that righteous° men°, wise° men°, and their deeds° are ain the hand° of God°. bMan° does not know° whether° [it will be] clove° or° hatred°; anything° IIawaits° him.

[1] ILit all this IILit is before them aDt 33:3; Jb 12:10; Ps 119:109 bEc 10:14 cEc 9:6

2aIt is the same° for all°. There is bone° fate° for the righteous° and for the wicked°; for the good°, for the clean° and for the unclean°; for the man who offers° a sacrifice° and for the one who° does not sacrifice°. As the good° man° is, so is the sinner°; as the swearer° is, so is the one who Iis afraid° to swear°. 3 This° is an evil° in all° that is done° under° the sun°, that there is aone° fate° for all° men°. Furthermore°, bthe hearts° of the sons° of men° are full° of evil° and cinsanity° is in their hearts° throughout their lives°. Afterwards° they [go] to the dead°. 4 For whoever°° is joined° with all° the living°, there° is hope°; surely° a live° dog° is better° than° a dead° lion°. 5 For the living° know° they will die°; but the dead° ado not know° anything°, nor° have° they any° longer° a reward°, for their bmemory° is forgotten°. 6 Indeed° their love°, their hate° and their zeal° have already° perished°, and they will no° longer° have° a ashare° in all° that is done° under° the sun°.

[2] ILit fears an oath aJb 9:22; Ec 9:11 bEc 2:14; 3:19; 6:6; 7:2
[3] aEc 9:2; Jr 17:10 bEc 8:11 cEc 1:17
[5] aJb 14:21 bPs 88:12; Ec 1:11; 2:16; 8:10; Is 26:14
[6] aEc 2:10; 3:22

7 ¶ Go° [then], aeat° your bread° in happiness° and drink° your wine° with a cheerful° heart°; for God° has already° approved° your works°. 8 Let your aclothes° be white° all° the time°, and let not boil° be lacking° on your head°. 9 Enjoy° life° with the woman° whom° you love° all° the days° of your Iafleeting° life° which° He has given° to you under° the sun°II; for this° is your breward° in life° and in your toil° in which° you have labored° under° the sun°.

[7] aEc 2:24; 8:15
[8] aRv 3:4 bPs 23:5
[9] ILit life of vanity IIHeb adds all the days of your vanity aEc 6:12; 7:15 bEc 2:10

Whatever Your Hand Finds to Do

10 ¶ Whatever°° your hand° finds° to do°, ado° [it] with [all] your might°; for there° is no° bactivity° or planning° or knowledge° or wisdom° in cSheol° where°° you are going°.

[10] aEc 11:6; Ro 12:11; Col 3:23 bEc 9:5 cGn 37:35; Jb 21:13; Is 38:10

11 ¶ I again° saw° under° the sun° that the arace° is not to the swift° and the bbattle° is not to the warriors°, and neither°° is bread° to the wise° nor°° cwealth° to the discerning° nor°° favor° to men of ability°; for time° and dchance° overtake° them all°. 12 Moreover°°, man° does not aknow° his time°: like fish° caught° in a treacherous° net° and bbirds° trapped° in a snare°, so the sons° of men° are censnared° at an evil° time° when it dsuddenly° falls° on them.

[11] aAm 2:14, 15 b2Ch 20:15; Ps 76:5; Zc 4:6 cDt 8:17, 18 d1S 6:9
[12] aEc 8:7 bPv 7:23 cPv 29:6; Is 24:18; Ho 9:8 dLk 21:34, 35

13 ¶ Also° this° I came to see° as wisdom° under° the sun°, and Iit impressed° me. 14 There awas a small° city° with few° men° in it and a great° king° came° to it, surrounded° it and constructed° large° siegeworks° against° it. 15 But there was found° in it a apoor° wise° man° and he Idelivered° the city° bby his wisdom°. Yet cno° one° remembered° that poor° man°. 16 So I said°, “aWisdom° is better° than° strength°.” But the wisdom° of the poor° man° is despised° and his words° are not heeded°. 17 The awords° of the wise° heard° in quietness° are [better] than° the shouting° of a ruler° among fools°. 18 aWisdom° is better° than° weapons° of war°, but bone° sinner° destroys° much° good°.

[13] ILit great it was to me
[14] a2S 20:16-22
[15] IOr might have delivered aEc 4:13 b2S 20:22 cEc 2:16; 8:10
[16] aPv 21:22; Ec 7:12, 19
[17] aEc 7:5; 10:12
[18] aEc 9:16 bJsh 7:1-26; 2K 21:2-17


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Like things happen to good and bad.

1 ¶ For²² all² this² I consideredºª in² my heartº even to declareºª² all² this,² that² the righteous,º and the wise,º and their works,º [are] in the handº of God:º no² manº knowethºª eitherº loveº or² hatredº [by] all² [that is] beforeº them. 2 All² [things come] alike² to all:² [there is] oneº eventº to the righteous,º and to the wicked;º to the goodº and to the clean,º and to the unclean;º to him that sacrificeth,ºª and to him that¹ sacrificethºª² not:² as [is] the good,º so [is] the sinner;ºª [and] he that sweareth,ºª as² [he] that feareth¹² an oath.º 3 This² [is] an evilº among all² [things] that² are doneºª under² the sun,º that² [there is] oneº eventº unto all:² yea, also² the heartº of the sonsº of menº is fullºª of evil,º and madnessº [is] in their heartº while they live,º and afterº that [they go] to² the dead.ºª

[1] Dt 33:3; 1S 2:9; 2S 15:25; Jb 5:8; Ps 10:14; 31:5; 37:5; 73:3, 11; Pv 16:3; Ec 1:17; 7:15, 25; 8:14, 16; 12:9; Is 26:12; 49:1; Jr 1:18; Mal 3:15; Jn 10:27; 1Co 3:5; 2Ti 1:12; 1P 1:5.
[2] Gn 24:3, 8; Jsh 2:17; 1S 14:26; Jb 21:7; Ps 73:3; Ec 2:14, 26; 7:18; 8:12; Ezk 17:18; Zc 5:3; Mal 3:5, 15, 18.
[3] Gn 6:5; 8:21; Jb 15:16; Ps 51:5; Pv 14:32; Ec 1:17; 7:25; 8:11; 12:7; Jr 17:9; Mt 15:19; Mk 7:21; Lk 6:11; 15:17; Ac 12:23; 26:11, 24; Ro 1:29; Tit 3:3; 2P 2:16.

There is a necessity of death unto men.

4 ¶ For¹² to him² that² is¹ joinedºªª¹ to² all² the livingº there is² hope:º for² a livingº dogº is betterº than² a deadºª lion.º 5 For² the livingº knowºª that they shall die:ºª² but the deadºª knowºª not² any thing,º neither² have they any more² a reward;º for² the memoryº of them is forgotten.ºª 6 Also² their love,º and² their hatred,º and² their envy,º is nowº perished;ºª neither² have they any more² a portionº for everº in any² [thing] that² is doneºª under² the sun.º

[4] Jb 14:7; 27:8; Is 38:18; Lm 3:21; Lk 16:26.
[5] Jb 7:8; 14:21; 30:23; Ps 6:5; 88:10; 109:15; Ec 2:16; 7:2; 8:10; Is 26:14; 63:16; He 9:27.
[6] Ex 1:8; Jb 3:17; Ps 146:3; Pv 10:28; Ec 2:18; 6:12; Mt 2:20.

Comfort is all their portion in this life.

7 ¶ Go² thy way,¹ª eatºª thy breadº with joy,º and drinkºª thy wineº with a merryº heart;º for² Godº nowº acceptethºª² thy works.º 8 Let thy garmentsº be² alwaysº² white;º and let thy headº lackºª no² ointment.º 9 Live¹ joyfullyºª² with² the wifeº whom² thou lovestºª all² the daysº of the lifeº of thy vanity,º which² he hath givenºª thee under² the sun,º all² the daysº of thy vanity:º for² that² [is] thy portionº in [this] life,º and in thy labourº which² thou² takestº under² the sun.º 10 Whatsoever²² thy handº findethºª to do,ºª doºª [it] with thy might;º for² [there is] no² work,º nor device,º nor knowledge,º nor wisdom,º in the grave,º whither²² thou² goest.ºª

[7] Gn 4:4; 12:19; Ex 24:8; Dt 12:7, 12; 16:14; 1K 8:66; 1Ch 16:1; 29:21; 2Ch 30:23; Ne 8:10; Ec 2:24; 3:12; 5:18; 8:15; 10:19; Mk 7:29; Lk 11:41; Jn 4:50; Ac 10:35.
[8] Ru 3:3; 2S 14:2; 19:24; Es 8:15; Dn 10:3; Am 6:6; Mt 6:17; Lk 7:46; Rv 3:4; 7:9, 13; 16:15; 19:8, 14.
[9] Ps 39:5; 144:4; Pv 5:18; 18:22; 19:14; Ec 2:10, 24; 3:13, 22; 5:18; 6:12; Mal 2:15.
[10] Nu 13:30; 1Ch 22:19; 28:20; 29:2; 2Ch 31:20; Ezr 6:14; Ne 2:12; 3:1; 4:2, 6, 9, 17; 13:8; Jb 14:7; Ps 6:5; 71:15; 88:10; Ec 9:5; 11:3; Is 38:18; Jr 29:13; Mt 6:33; Jn 4:34; 9:4; Ac 20:25; Ro 12:11; 15:18; 1Co 9:24, 26; 15:10; 16:10; Ep 5:16; Col 3:23; 2P 1:12.

God's providence ruleth over all.

11 ¶ I returned,ºª and sawºª under² the sun,º that² the raceº [is] not² to the swift,º nor² the battleº to the strong,º neither² yet² breadº to the wise,º nor² yet² richesº to men of understanding,ºª nor² yet² favourº to men of skill;ºª but² timeº and chanceº happenethºª to² them all.² 12 For² manº also² knowethºª not²² his time:º as the fishesº that are takenºª² in an evilº net,¹² and as the birdsº that are caughtºª in the snare;º so¹ [are] the sonsº of menº snaredºª in an evilº time,º when it fallethºª² suddenlyº upon² them.

[11] 1S 2:3; 17:50; 2S 2:18; 17:14, 23; Jb 5:11; 34:29; Ps 33:16; 73:6; 147:10; Pv 21:30; Ec 2:12, 14; 3:14, 17; 4:1, 4; 7:13; Jr 9:23; 46:6; Lm 3:37; Dn 4:35; Am 2:14; Mal 3:18; Ep 1:11.
[12] Jb 18:8; Ps 11:6; 73:18; Pv 6:15; 7:22; 29:6; Ec 8:5, 11; Is 30:13; Hab 1:14; Lk 12:20, 39; 17:26; 19:42; 21:34; 2Co 6:2; 1Th 5:3; 2Ti 2:26; 1P 2:12; 2P 2:12.

Wisdom is better than strength.

13 ¶ Thisº wisdomº have I seenºª also² under² the sun,º and it² [seemed] greatº unto² me: 14 [There was] a littleº city,º and fewº men¹² within it; and there cameºª a greatº kingº against² it, and besiegedºª it, and builtºª greatº bulwarksº against² it: 15 Now there was foundºª in it a poorº wiseº man,º and he² by his wisdomº deliveredºª² the city;º yet no² manº rememberedºª² that same² poorº man.º 16 Then saidºª I,² Wisdomº [is] betterº than strength:º² nevertheless the poor man'sº wisdomº [is] despised,ºª and his wordsº are not² heard.ºª 17 The wordsº of wiseº [men are] heardºª in quietº more than the cryº² of him that rulethºª among fools.º 18 Wisdomº [is] betterº than weaponsº² of war:º but oneº sinnerºª destroyethºª muchºª good.º

[13] Ec 6:1; 7:15; 8:16; 9:11.
[14] 2S 20:15; 2K 6:24; 7:1.
[15] Gn 40:23; Es 6:2.
[16] Pv 10:15; 21:22; 24:5; Ec 7:19; 9:18; Mk 6:2; Jn 7:47; 9:24; 1Co 1:26; Jm 2:2.
[17] Gn 41:33; 1S 7:3; Pv 28:23; Is 42:2, 4; Jm 1:20; 3:17.
[18] Jsh 7:1, 5, 11; 22:20; 1S 14:28, 36; 2S 20:1; Ec 9:16; 2Th 2:8; 2Ti 2:16; 3:8; 4:3; Tit 1:10; He 12:15.


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