Ecclesiastes 8:1–10:20
Septuagint (Brenton) compared with King James Version (Masoretic-derived)
Full reading for Day 242
Ecclesiastes 8:1–10:20 · Psalm 102 (MT: 103) · Proverbs 24:10–12 · 1 Corinthians 10:19–33
Showing Ecclesiastes 8:1 through 10:20
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Septuagint (Brenton)
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1A man's wisdom will lighten his countenance; but a man of shameless countenance will be hated.
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.
2Observe the commandment of the king, and [that] because of the word of the oath of God.
2I counsel thee to keep the king’s commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.
3Be not hasty; thou shalt go forth out of his presence: stand not in an evil matter; for he will do whatsoever he shall please,
3Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
4even as a king having power: and who will say to him, What doest thou?
4Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
5He that keeps the commandment shall not know an evil thing: and the heart of the wise knows the time of judgment.
5Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment.
6For to every thing there is time and judgment; for the knowledge of a man is great to him.
6Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.
7For there is no one that knows what is going to be: for who shall tell him how it shall be?
7For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?
8There is no man that has power over the spirit to retain the spirit; and there is no power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in the day of battle; neither shall ungodliness save her votary.
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.
9So I saw all this , and I applied my heart to every work that has been done under the sun; all the things wherein man has power over man to afflict him.
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.
10And then I saw the ungodly carried into the tombs, and [that] out of the holy place: and they departed, and were praised in the city, because they had done thus: this also is vanity.
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.
11Because there is no contradiction made on the part of those who do evil quickly, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully determined in them to do evil.
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.
12He that has sinned has done evil from that time, and long from beforehand: nevertheless I know, that it is well with them that fear God, that they may fear before him:
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:
13but it shall not be well with the ungodly, and he shall not prolong his days, [which are] as a shadow; forasmuch as he fears not before God.
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.
14There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there are righteous persons to whom it happens according to the doing of the ungodly; and there are ungodly men, to whom it happens according to the doing of the just: I said, This is also vanity.
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.
15Then I praised mirth, because there is no good for a man under the sun, but to eat, and drink, and be merry: and this shall attend him in his labour all the days of his life, which God has given him under the sun.
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.
16Whereupon I set my heart to know wisdom, and to perceive the trouble that was wrought upon the earth: for there is that neither by day nor night sees sleep with his eyes.
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:)
17And I beheld all the works of God, that a man shall not be able to discover the work which is wrought under the sun; whatsoever things a man shall endeavour to seek, however a man may labour to seek it , yet he shall not find it; yea, how much soever a wise man may speak of knowing it, he shall not be able to find it: for I applied all this to my heart, and my heart has seen all this.
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.
1[I saw] that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: yea, there is no man that knows either love or hatred, [though] all are before their face.
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.
2Vanity is in all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good, and to the bad; both to the pure, and to the impure; both to him that sacrifices, and to him that sacrifices not: as is the good, so is the sinner: as is the swearer, even so is he that fears an oath.
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.
3There is this evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yea, the heart of the sons of men is filled with evil, and madness is in their heart during their life, and after that [they go] to the dead.
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.
4For who is he that has fellowship with all the living? there is hope [of him]: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
4For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5For the living will know that they shall die: but the dead know nothing, and there is no longer any reward to them; for their memory is lost.
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.
6Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, have now perished; yea, there is no portion for them any more for ever in all that is done under the sun.
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.
7Go , eat thy bread with mirth, and drink thy wine with a joyful heart; for now God has favourably accepted thy works.
7Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
8Let thy garments be always white; and let not oil be wanting on thine head .
8Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
9And see life with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which are given thee under the sun: for that is thy portion in thy life, and in thy labour wherein thou labourest under the sun.
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.
10Whatsoever thine hand shall find to do, do with all thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Hades whither thou goest.
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.
11I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor yet bread to the wise, nor yet wealth to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of knowledge; for time and chance will happen to them all.
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.
12For surely man also knows not his time: as fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as birds that are caught in a snare; even thus the sons of men are snared at an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them.
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.
13This I also saw [to be] wisdom under the sun, and it is great before me:
13This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:
14[suppose there were] a little city, and few men in it; and there should come against it a great king , and surround it, and build great mounds against it;
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:
15and should find in it a poor wise man, and he should save the city through his wisdom: yet no man would remember that poor man.
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.
16And I said , Wisdom is better than power: yet the wisdom of the poor manis set at nought, and his words not listened to.
16Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
17The words of the wise are heard in quiet more than the cry of them that rule in folly.
17The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
18Wisdom is better than weapons of war: and one sinner will destroy much good.
18Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.
1Pestilent flies will corrupt a preparation of sweet ointment : [and] a little wisdom is more precious than great glory of folly .
1Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.
2A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.
2A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left.
3Yea , and whenever a fool walks by the way, his heart will fail him, and all that he thinks of is folly.
3Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.
4If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for soothing will put an end to great offences.
4If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.
5There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, wherein an error has proceeded from the ruler.
5There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler:
6The fool has been set in very high places, while rich men would sit in a low one.
6Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.
7I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants on the earth.
7I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.
8He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and him that breaks down a hedgea serpent shall bite .
8He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
9He that removes stones shall be troubled thereby; he that cleaves wood shall be endangered thereby.
9Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.
10If the axe-head should fall off, then the man troubles his countenance, and he must put forth more strength: and [in that case] skill is of no advantage to a man.
10If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.
11If a serpent bite when there is no [charmer's] whisper, then there is no advantage to the charmer.
11Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.
12The words of a wise mouth are gracious: but the lips of a fool will swallow him up .
12The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
13The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly: and the end of his talk mischievous madness.
13The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
14A fool moreover multiplies words: man knows not what has been, nor what will be: who shall tell him what will come after him?
14A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?
15The labour of fools will afflict them, [as that of one] who knows not to go to the city.
15The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.
16Woe to thee, O city, whose king is young, and thy princes eat in the morning!
16Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!
17Blessed art thou, O land, whose king is a son of nobles, and whose princes shall eat seasonably, for strength, and shall not be ashamed.
17Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!
18By slothful neglect a building will be brought low: and by idleness of the hands the house will fall to pieces.
18By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.
19Men prepare bread for laughter, and wine and oil that the living should rejoice: but to money all things will humbly yield obedience.
19A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.
20Even in thy conscience, curse not the king; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry thy voice, and that which has wings shall report thy speech.
20Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.