| 1 Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a
thing? A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the hardness of his face
is changed. 2 I counsel thee, Keep the king's command, and that in
regard of the oath of God. 3 Be not hasty to go out of his presence;
persist not in an evil thing: for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him. 4 For
the king's word hath power; and who may say unto him, What doest
thou? 5 Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise
man's heart discerneth time and judgment: 6 for to every purpose there is
a time and judgment; because the misery of man is great upon him: 7 for he
knoweth not that which shall be; for who can tell him how it shall be?
8 There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit;
neither hath he power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in
war: neither shall wickedness deliver him that is given to it. 9 All this
have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun:
there is a time wherein one man hath power over another to his hurt.
10 So I saw the wicked buried, and they came to the grave; and
they that had done right went away from the holy place, and were forgotten in
the city: this also is vanity. 11 Because 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. 12 Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and prolong
his days, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear
God, that fear before him: 13 but 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. 14 There is a vanity which is done upon
the earth, that there are righteous men unto whom it happeneth according to
the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men to whom it happeneth
according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.
15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the
sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be joyful: for that shall abide with
him in his labor all the days of his life which God hath given him
under the sun. 16 When I applied my 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), 17 then I beheld all the work of God,
that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because however
much a man labor to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea moreover,
though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.
Genesis - Public
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