Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 8 ©

1 True wisdom inspireth modesty. 2 Kings are to be respected, 6 man's ignorance of futurity; 8 his inability in the day of death. 11 The common abuse of God's forbearance. 12 Good and bad men will surely meet with their deserts in the end, though it fall out otherwise for a time. 15 Cheerful enjoyment of present good commended. 16 God's work is unsearchable.

1

WHO is aas the wise man ? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? ba man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and 1the boldness of his face shall be changed.

a 1Ki. 3.13. 1Co. 2.16. ch. 7.23. Ro. 11.34. Pr. 1.5,6.
b Pr. 17.24; 4.9. Ex. 34.29. Ac. 7.10,15.
2

cI counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that din regard of the oath of God.

c Ro. 13.1-6. Tit. 3.1. Je. 27.17.
d 2Ki. 11.17. 1Ki. 2.43. Eze. 17.13-18. 1Ch. 29.24.
3

Be enot hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; ffor he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.

e ch. 10.4,6. Pr. 14.29; 19.2.
f Pr. 30.31; 16.10-15. Da. 5.19; 4.35.
4

gWhere the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

g Ro. 13.1-4. Tit. 3.1. Job 34.18,19; 33.14.
5

hWhoso keepeth the commandment 2shall feel no evil thing: iand a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.

h Ps. 119.6. 1Pe. 3.13. Ro. 13.4. Ex. 1.17,21. Ho. 5.11. Ac. 4.19.
i 1Ch. 12.32. ch. 2.14; 10.2. Pr. 17.24.
6

jBecause to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.

j ch. 3.1,17; 7.14.
7

For he kknoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him 3when it shall be?

k Lu. 19.41-44. ch. 3.22; 6.12; 9.12; 10.14. Pr. 24.22.
8

There is no man that hath power lover the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no 4discharge in that war; mneither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

l Job 14.5. Ps. 49.7; 89.48. He. 9.27. 2Sa. 14.14; 12.18.
m Pr. 14.32; 10.2; 11.1. Ps. 9.17; 73.18. Is. 3.10; 28.15.
9

nAll this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another oto his own hurt.

n ch. 1.14,17; 2.11,12; 4.1,4; 7.14,25.
o 2Sa. 18; 20. ch. 5.13. 1Ki. 11.31.
10

And pso I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from qthe place of the holy, and rthey were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.

p Ps. 82.7; 58.9.
q Ps. 82.1; 122.5.
r Je. 17.13. He. 10.38. Pr. 10.7. Job 18.17,19. Is. 14.20,22.
11

sBecause 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.

s Ps. 10.6; 50.21. 2Pe. 3.3,4,9. Is. 26.10; 57.11. Je. 48.11. Mat. 24.8,49. Ro. 2.4,5.
12

¶Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that tit shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:

t Ps. 37.11,18,19. Pr. 1.32,33. Is. 3.10,11; 65.20,23. Ro. 2.7-10. Ps. 55.23. ch. 7.15. Mat. 25.34. De. 4.40; 12.25.
13

But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which uare as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

u Job 7.6,7; 14.2. ch. 6.12. Ps. 144.4; 102.11; 109.23; 39.5.
14

There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; vthat there be just men, wunto whom it happeneth according to the xwork of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the ywork of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.

v Job 21.7. Ps. 73.14. ch. 7.15; 9.1,2. Mal. 3.15.
w ch. 9.1-3.
x Da. 11.35. 1Co. 11.32.
y Ps. 37.35. Ac. 20.21.
15

zThen I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than ato eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

a 1Co. 10.31.
z ch. 3.12,22; 2.24; 5.18; 9.7. 1Ti. 4.3,4; 6.17.
16

¶When bI applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see cthe business that is done upon the earth: (for dalso there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:)

b v.9. ch. 7.25.
c ch. 5.3.
d Ps. 127.2; 4.6; 17.14. Jn. 6.27. Ge. 31.40.
17

Then I beheld all the work of God, ethat a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.

e ch. 3.11; 11.5. Job 5.9. Ro. 11.33. Ps. 40.5; 73.16; 72.18; 104.24.