1 Who is like the wise person, and who knows the meaning of things? The wisdom of a person brightens their face, and the hardness of their face is softened.

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 boldness of his face shall be changed.

2 I advise you to obey the king's command and stay true to your oath made before God.

I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.

3 Do not be quick to leave the king’s presence, and do not insist on an evil matter, for the king will do whatever he pleases.

Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.

4 Since the king’s word has authority, who can question him, saying, 'What are you doing?'

Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

5 Whoever obeys a command will avoid harm, and the heart of the wise person knows the right time and the right way.

Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.

6 For every purpose there is a proper time and procedure, though the misery of mankind weighs heavily upon them.

Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.

7 Since no one knows what will happen, who can tell anyone what is to come?

For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?

8 No one has power over the wind to restrain it, and no one has power over the day of death. No one is discharged in the time of war, and wickedness will not save those who practice it.

There 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.

9 I observed all this as I considered all the work done under the sun: a time when one man has power over another to hurt them.

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 ruleth over another to his own hurt.

10 Then I saw the wicked buried, who used to go in and out of the holy place, but now they are forgotten in the city where they acted this way. This too is meaningless.

And 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.

11 When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do evil.

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 Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and lives a long time, I know that it will be well with those who fear God, who honor Him.

Though 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:

13 But it will not go well for the wicked, nor will they prolong their days like a shadow, because they do not fear God.

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 futility that takes place on the earth: righteous people receive what the wicked deserve, and wicked people receive what the righteous deserve. I said, 'This too is vanity.'

There 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.

15 So I praised enjoyment, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat, drink, and be glad. This will accompany them in their toil through the days of life that God has given them under the sun.

Then 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.

16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to observe the work that is done on earth, even though people do not see sleep with their eyes day or night,

When 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:)

17 then I saw all the work of God, that no one can understand the work that is done under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can comprehend it. Even if the wise claim to know, they cannot truly understand it.

Then 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.