| King James Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed. | 1Who is really wise? Who knows how to interpret this saying: "A person's wisdom improves his appearance, softening a harsh countenance." |
| 2I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God. | 2I advise doing what the king says, especially regarding an oath to God. |
| 3Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him. | 3Don't be in a hurry to leave him, and don't persist in evil, for he does whatever he pleases. |
| 4Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou? | 4Since a king's command is powerful, who is able to challenge him, asking, "What are you doing?" |
| 5Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment. | 5Whoever obeys his commands will not experience harm, and the wise in heart will discern both the appropriate time and response. |
| 6Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him. | 6Indeed, there is an appropriate time and a response for every circumstance, since human misery weighs heavily upon him. |
| 7For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be? | 7For he has absolutely no knowledge what will happen, since who can declare to him when it will come about? |
| 8There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it. | 8Just as no human being has control over the wind to restrain it, so also no human being has control over the day of his death. Just as no one is discharged during war, so wickedness will not release those who practice it. |
| 9All 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 to his own hurt. | 9I observed all this, and carefully considered everything that is undertaken on earth, especially the time when someone dominates another to his detriment. |
| 10And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity. | 10So I watched the wicked being entombed. They used to come in and out of the Holy Place, but now they are forgotten in the city, where they used to work. This, too, is pointless. |
| 11Because 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. | 11Whenever a sentence for a crime is not carried out swiftly, the human mind becomes determined to commit evil. |
| 12Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: | 12Even though a sinner does what is wrong a hundred times and still survives, nevertheless I also know that things will go well for those who fear God, who fear in his presence. |
| 13But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God. | 13But things will not go well for the wicked person: he will not lengthen his life like a shadow, since he has no fear before God. |
| 14There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity. | 14Here is a pointless thing that happens on earth: A righteous man receives what happens to the wicked, and a wicked man receives what happens to the righteous. I concluded that this, too, is pointless. |
| 15Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to 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. | 15So then I recommended enjoyment of life, because it is better on earth for a man to eat, drink, and be happy, since this will stay with him throughout his struggle all the days of his life, which God grants him on earth. |
| 16When 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 sleep with his eyes:) | 16When I dedicated myself to experience wisdom and to observe what is undertaken on earth—even going without sleep day and night— |
| 17Then I beheld all the work of God, that 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. | 17I saw all of it as the activity of God. Frankly, a human being cannot understand what happens on earth, because however hard a man works to discover it, he will not find out. Despite what he thinks he knows, he will not be able to figure it out. |
| King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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