| New American Standard Bible 1995 | New International Version |
| 1For I have taken all this to my heart and explain it that righteous men, wise men, and their deeds are in the hand of God. Man does not know whether it will be love or hatred; anything awaits him. | 1So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God's hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them. |
| 2It is the same for all. There is one fate for the righteous and for the wicked; for the good, for the clean and for the unclean; for the man who offers a sacrifice and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the good man is, so is the sinner; as the swearer is, so is the one who is afraid to swear. | 2All share a common destiny--the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. As it is with the good, so with the sinful; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them. |
| 3This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all men. Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they go to the dead. | 3This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. |
| 4For whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion. | 4Anyone who is among the living has hope --even a live dog is better off than a dead lion! |
| 5For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten. | 5For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten. |
| 6Indeed their love, their hate and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun. | 6Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun. |
| 7Go then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works. | 7Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. |
| 8Let your clothes be white all the time, and let not oil be lacking on your head. | 8Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. |
| 9Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun. | 9Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun--all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. |
| 10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going. | 10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. |
| 11I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and chance overtake them all. | 11I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. |
| 12Moreover, man does not know his time: like fish caught in a treacherous net and birds trapped in a snare, so the sons of men are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them. | 12Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so people are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them. |
| 13Also this I came to see as wisdom under the sun, and it impressed me. | 13I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me: |
| 14There was a small city with few men in it and a great king came to it, surrounded it and constructed large siegeworks against it. | 14There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it. |
| 15But there was found in it a poor wise man and he delivered the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man. | 15Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. |
| 16So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded. | 16So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded. |
| 17The words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. | 17The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools. |
| 18Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. | 18Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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