| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Who is like the wise man? Who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed. | 1Who is a wise person? Who knows the solution to a problem? A person's wisdom brightens his appearance, and softens his harsh countenance. |
| 2Keep the king’s command, I say, because of your oath before God. | 2Obey the king's command, because you took an oath before God to be loyal to him. |
| 3Do not hasten to leave his presence, and do not persist in a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases. | 3Do not rush out of the king's presence in haste--do not delay when the matter is unpleasant, for he can do whatever he pleases. |
| 4For the king’s word is supreme, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?” | 4Surely the king's authority is absolute; no one can say to him, "What are you doing?" |
| 5Whoever keeps his command will come to no harm, and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure. | 5Whoever obeys his command will not experience harm, and a wise person knows the proper time and procedure. |
| 6For there is a right time and procedure to every purpose, though a man’s misery weighs heavily upon him. | 6For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, for the oppression of the king is severe upon his victim. |
| 7Since no one knows what will happen, who can tell him what is to come? | 7Surely no one knows the future, and no one can tell another person what will happen. |
| 8As no man has power over the wind to contain it, so no one has authority over his day of death. As no one can be discharged in wartime, so wickedness will not release those who practice it. | 8Just as no one has power over the wind to restrain it, so no one has power over the day of his death. Just as no one can be discharged during the battle, so wickedness cannot rescue the wicked. |
| 9All this I have seen, applying my mind to every deed that is done under the sun; there is a time when one man lords it over another to his own detriment. | 9While applying my mind to everything that happens in this world, I have seen all this: Sometimes one person dominates other people to their harm. |
| 10Then too, I saw the burial of the wicked who used to go in and out of the holy place, and they were praised in the city where they had done so. This too is futile. | 10Not only that, but I have seen the wicked approaching and entering the temple, and as they left the holy temple, they boasted in the city that they had done so. This also is an enigma. |
| 11When the sentence for a crime is not speedily executed, the hearts of men become fully set on doing evil. | 11When a sentence is not executed at once against a crime, the human heart is encouraged to do evil. |
| 12Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and still lives long, yet I also know that it will go well with those who fear God, who are reverent in His presence. | 12Even though a sinner might commit a hundred crimes and still live a long time, yet I know that it will go well with God-fearing people--for they stand in fear before him. |
| 13Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow. | 13But it will not go well with the wicked, nor will they prolong their days like a shadow, because they do not stand in fear before God. |
| 14There is a futility that is done on the earth: There are righteous men who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, and there are wicked men who get what the actions of the righteous deserve. I say that this too is futile. | 14Here is another enigma that occurs on earth: Sometimes there are righteous people who get what the wicked deserve, and sometimes there are wicked people who get what the righteous deserve. I said, "This also is an enigma." |
| 15So I commended the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be merry. For this joy will accompany him in his labor during the days of his life that God gives him under the sun. | 15So I recommend the enjoyment of life, for there is nothing better on earth for a person to do except to eat, drink, and enjoy life. So joy will accompany him in his toil during the days of his life which God gives him on earth. |
| 16When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the task that one performs on the earth—though his eyes do not see sleep in the day or even in the night— | 16When I tried to gain wisdom and to observe the activity on earth--even though it prevents anyone from sleeping day or night-- |
| 17I saw every work of God, and that a man is unable to comprehend the work that is done under the sun. Despite his efforts to search it out, he cannot find its meaning; even if the wise man claims to know, he is unable to comprehend. | 17then I discerned all that God has done: No one really comprehends what happens on earth. Despite all human efforts to discover it, no one can ever grasp it. Even if a wise person claimed that he understood, he would not really comprehend it. |
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