| King James Bible | NET Bible |
| 1For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them. | 1So I reflected on all this, attempting to clear it all up. I concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their works, are in the hand of God; whether a person will be loved or hated--no one knows what lies ahead. |
| 2All things come alike to all: there is one 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. | 2Everyone shares the same fate--the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the ceremonially clean and unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. What happens to the good person, also happens to the sinner; what happens to those who make vows, also happens to those who are afraid to make vows. |
| 3This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead. | 3This is the unfortunate fact about everything that happens on earth: the same fate awaits everyone. In addition to this, the hearts of all people are full of evil, and there is folly in their hearts during their lives--then they die. |
| 4For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. | 4But whoever is among the living has hope; a live dog is better than a dead lion. |
| 5For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. | 5For the living know that they will die, but the dead do not know anything; they have no further reward--and even the memory of them disappears. |
| 6Also 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. | 6What they loved, as well as what they hated and envied, perished long ago, and they no longer have a part in anything that happens on earth. |
| 7Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. | 7Go, eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, because God has already approved your works. |
| 8Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment. | 8Let your clothes always be white, and do not spare precious ointment on your head. |
| 9Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun. | 9Enjoy life with your beloved wife during all the days of your fleeting life that God has given you on earth during all your fleeting days; for that is your reward in life and in your burdensome work on earth. |
| 10Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. | 10Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, because there is neither work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave, the place where you will eventually go. |
| 11I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. | 11Again, I observed this on the earth: the race is not always won by the swiftest, the battle is not always won by the strongest; prosperity does not always belong to those who are the wisest, wealth does not always belong to those who are the most discerning, nor does success always come to those with the most knowledge--for time and chance may overcome them all. |
| 12For man 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 snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them. | 12Surely, no one knows his appointed time! Like fish that are caught in a deadly net, and like birds that are caught in a snare--just like them, all people are ensnared at an unfortunate time that falls upon them suddenly. |
| 13This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: | 13This is what I also observed about wisdom on earth, and it is a great burden to me: |
| 14There 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: | 14There was once a small city with a few men in it, and a mighty king attacked it, besieging it and building strong siege works against it. |
| 15Now 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. | 15However, a poor but wise man lived in the city, and he could have delivered the city by his wisdom, but no one listened to that poor man. |
| 16Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. | 16So I concluded that wisdom is better than might, but a poor man's wisdom is despised; no one ever listens to his advice. |
| 17The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. | 17The words of the wise are heard in quiet, more than the shouting of a ruler is heard among fools. |
| 18Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good. | 18Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much that is good. |
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