| NET Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Who is a wise person? Who knows the solution to a problem? A person's wisdom brightens his appearance, and softens his harsh countenance. | 1Who is like the wise person, and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man's wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed. |
| 2Obey the king's command, because you took an oath before God to be loyal to him. | 2Keep the king's command because of your oath made before God. |
| 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. | 3Do not be in a hurry; leave his presence, and don't persist in a bad cause, since he will do whatever he wants. |
| 4Surely the king's authority is absolute; no one can say to him, "What are you doing?" | 4For the king's word is authoritative, and who can say to him, "What are you doing?" |
| 5Whoever obeys his command will not experience harm, and a wise person knows the proper time and procedure. | 5The one who keeps a command will not experience anything harmful, and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure. |
| 6For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, for the oppression of the king is severe upon his victim. | 6For every activity there is a right time and procedure, even though man's troubles are heavy on him. |
| 7Surely no one knows the future, and no one can tell another person what will happen. | 7Yet no one knows what will happen because who can tell him what will happen? |
| 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. | 8No one has authority over the wind to restrain it, and there is no authority over the day of death; there is no furlough in battle, and wickedness will not allow those who practice it to escape. |
| 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. | 9All this I have seen, applying my mind to all the work that is done under the sun, at a time when one man has authority over another to his harm. |
| 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. | 10In such circumstances, I saw the wicked buried. They came and went from the holy place, and they were praised in the city where they did so. This too is futile. |
| 11When a sentence is not executed at once against a crime, the human heart is encouraged to do evil. | 11Because the sentence against a criminal act is not carried out quickly, the heart of people is filled with the desire to commit crime. |
| 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. | 12Although a sinner commits crime a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I also know that it will go well with God-fearing people, for they are reverent before Him. |
| 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. | 13However, it will not go well with the wicked, and they will not lengthen their days like a shadow, for they are not reverent before God. |
| 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." | 14There is a futility that is done on the earth: there are righteous people who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, and there are wicked people who get what the actions of the righteous deserve. I say that this too is futile. |
| 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. | 15So I commended enjoyment because there is nothing better for man under the sun than to eat, drink, and enjoy himself, for this will accompany him in his labor during the days of his life that God gives him under the sun. |
| 16When I tried to gain wisdom and to observe the activity on earth--even though it prevents anyone from sleeping day or night-- | 16When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the activity that is done on the earth (even though one's eyes do not close in sleep day or night), |
| 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. | 17I observed all the work of God and concluded that man is unable to discover the work that is done under the sun. Even though a man labors hard to explore it, he cannot find it; even if the wise man claims to know it, he is unable to discover it. |
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