Kohelet - Chapter 9

1. For all this I laid to my heart and to clarify all this, that the righteous and the wise and their works are in God's hand; even love, even hate, man does not know; everything is before them.

2. Everything [comes to them] as [it comes] to all; [there is] one occurrence for the righteous and for the wicked, for the good, and for the pure, and for the unclean, and for he who sacrifices, and for he who does not sacrifice; like the good, so is the sinner; he who swears is like him who fears an oath.

3. This is the most evil in all that is done under the sun, that all have one occurrence, and also the heart of the children of men is full of evil, and there is madness in their heart in their lifetime, and after that they go to the dead.

4. For whoever is joined to all the living has hope, for concerning a live dog [it is said that] he is better than a dead lion.

5. For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for their remembrance is forgotten.

6. Also their love, as well as their hate, as well as their provocation has already been lost, and they have no more share forever in all that is done under the sun.

7. Go, eat your bread joyfully and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already accepted your deeds.

8. At all times, let your garments be white, and let oil not be wanting on your head.

9. Enjoy life with the wife whom you love all the days of the life of your vanity, whom He has given you under the sun, all the days of your vanity, for that is your portion in life and in your toil that you toil under the sun.

10. Whatever your hand attains to do [as long as you are] with your strength, do; for there is neither deed nor reckoning, neither knowledge nor wisdom in the grave, where you are going.

11. I returned and saw under the sun, that the race does not belong to the swift, nor the war to the mighty; neither do the wise have bread, nor do the understanding have riches, nor the knowledgeable, favor; for time and fate will overtake them all.

12. For a person does not even know his time, like the fish that are caught with an inferior trap and like the birds that are caught in the snare; like them, the children of men are trapped at a time of evil, when it falls upon them suddenly.

13. This also have I seen as wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me.

14. [There was] a small city, with few people in it, and a great king came upon it and surrounded it and built over it great bulwarks.

15. And there was found therein a poor wise man, and he extricated the city through his wisdom, but no man remembered that poor man.

16. And I said, "Wisdom is better than might, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heard."

17. The words of the wise are heard [when spoken] softly, more than the shout of a ruler of fools.

18. Wisdom is better than weapons, and one sinner destroys much good.