ECCLESIASTES
OR
THE PREACHER
Ecclesiastes 8 ©
An exhortation to show all due obedience to the king or the authorities, v. 1, etc. That one should not be too much troubled at the approaching evil, 6. Next, he relates yet some other vanities of this life, as namely, how subjects are oppressed by evil authorities, 9. That many people continue in sin, because they are not right away punished, 11. However, they shall not escape punishment, 12. Though oftentimes the godly are afflicted, and the wicked prosper in this world, 14. Thereupon he concludes that it is best in this life for a man to enjoy the gifts of God with cheerfulness, 15. Laying aside the unnecessary and superfluous care for the things of this life, 16.
WHO12is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? 3a man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and 4the boldness of his face shall be 5changed.
Iacounsel thee to 6keep the 7king’s commandment, and that 8in regard of the oath of God.
Be not hasty to go out 9of his sight: 10stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth 11whatsoever pleaseth 12him.
Where 13the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, 14What doest thou?
Whosob keepeth 15the commandment 16shall feel no evil thing: and 17a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.
¶Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, 18therefore the misery of man is great upon him.
19For he knoweth not that which shall be: for whoc can tell him 20when it shall be?
Thered is no man 21that hath power over the spirit 22to retain 23the spirit; neither hath he power 24in the day of death: and there is no 25discharge 26in that war; neither shall 27wickedness deliver those that are given to it.
All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: 28there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to 29his own hurt.
And so I saw the wicked 30buried, who had come and gone from 31the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: 32this is also vanity.
33Because 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.
¶Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yete surely I know that it shall be well with them 34that fear God, which 35fear before him:
But it shall not be well with 36the wicked, neither shall 37he prolong his days, which are 38as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.
There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it 39happeneth 40according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: 41I said 42that this also is vanity.
Then I commended mirth, because af man hath no better thing 43under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and 44to be merry: for 45that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.
¶When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth 46sleep with his eyes:)
Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man 47cannot find out 48the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour 49to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man 50think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.