Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 9 ©

1 Like things happen on earth to good and bad men. 4 With the living is hope, but the dead have no more concern with this world. 7 An exhortation cheerfully to enjoy the goods of life, and to act with vigour, while the time serveth. 11 Human probabilities are not always justified by the event. 13 Wisdom is better than strength.

1

FOR aall this 1I considered in my heart even to declare all this, bthat the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: cno man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.

a ch. 1.14,17; 2.12; 4.1,4; 7.25; 8.16; 12.9,10.
b De. 33.3. 1Sa. 2.9. Is. 26.12. 2Co. 3.5. Phi. 2.12,13. Re. 2.1. Jn. 10.28,29. ch. 8.14.
c Ps. 73.3,12,13. Mal. 3.15. ch. 2.14,15; 7.15.
2

dAll things come alike to all: there is eone 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.

d ch. 8.14. Job 9.22; 21.7-18. Ps. 73.3,12,13. Mal. 3.14,15.
e ch. 2.14.
3

fThis is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: gyea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, hand after that they go to the dead.

f Ps. 37.1,7; 73.3-14. Je. 12.1,2.
g Ge. 6.5. Je. 17.9. Mat. 15.19. ch. 8.11. Ro. 1.29-31; 8.7,8. Tit. 3.3. Pr. 4.16.
h Job 30.23. He. 9.27. Ge. 3.19. ch. 12.7. Pr. 2.18; 9.18.
4

iFor to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: jfor a living dog is better than a dead lion.

i Zec. 9.10. Is. 38.19.
j 2Sa. 12.23. Es. 6.3.
5

kFor the living know that they shall die: but lthe dead know not any thing, mneither have they any more a reward; nfor the memory of them is forgotten.

k Job 30.23. He. 9.27.
l Ps. 6.5; 30.9; 88.11. Is. 38.18; 63.16. Job 14.21.
m ch. 4.9; 2.18-22.
n ch. 8.10. Job 7.8-10. Is. 26.14.
6

oAlso 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.

o Ex. 1.8. Job 3.17-19; 14.21. Lu. 12.18-20. Mat. 2.20.
7

pGo thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

p ch. 2.24; 3.12,22; 5.18; 8.15; 10.19. De. 12.7. Ne. 8.10-12.
8

Let thy qgarments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.

q Re. 16.15. Es. 8.15. Mat. 6.17. Ps. 104.15.
9

2Live joyfully with rthe wife whom thou lovest all the days of the slife of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: tfor that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.

r Pr. 5.15-19. Ge. 26.8. Mal. 2.15.
s ch. 5.18; 6.12; 7.15. 1Co. 7.28. Ro. 8.20.
t ch. 2.10,24; 3.13; 5.18. v.5,6.
10

uWhatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; vfor there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

u Ro. 12.11. 1Co. 9.24-26; 16.10. Ep. 5.16. Je. 48.10. Ga. 6.10.
v v.5,6. Re. 14.13. Jn. 9.4.
11

wI returned, and saw under the sun, that xthe race is not to the swift, nor ythe battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; zbut time and chance happeneth to them all.

w ch. 1.14; 2.1,12; 3.16; 4.1,4,7.
x Ps. 75.6,7. Je. 9.23. Am. 2.14-16. Ps. 33.16,17. 1Sa. 17.50. Hag. 1.5,9.
y Je. 9.23.
z ch. 2.14,15; 7.15. v.2. Job 5.11-14. La. 3.37,38.
12

For aman 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 bsnared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

a ch. 3.22; 6.12; 8.7. Hab. 1.14. Pr. 7.22,23.
b Pr. 29.6. 2Pe. 2.12. Ps. 73.18,20. Lu. 17.20-31; 21.34,35. Is. 30.13. 1Th. 5.2,3.
13

¶This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and cit seemed great unto me:

c ch. 2.13; 7.11,12,19.
14

There 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:

15

Now 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.

16

Then dsaid I, Wisdom is better than strength: enevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

d Pr. 21.22; 24.5,6; 18.10. ch. 7.19. 2Ch. 20.12,15.
e Mar. 6.2,3. Pr. 10.15; 14.20; 19.4. Ja. 2.2. 1Co. 1.23. Is. 53.3.
17

fThe words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.

f Pr. 28.23. Ge. 41.33-36. 2Sa. 20.17. Jn. 10.27. Is. 42.2.
18

gWisdom is better than weapons of war: but hone sinner destroyeth much good.

g v.16. ch. 7.12,19.
h Jos. 7.1,5,11,12; 22.20; 8.9. He. 12.15.