Ecclesiastes 9 | Biblion Bible Reader

WEB·Ecclesiastes 10

¹Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to produce an evil odor; so does a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor.

KJVDead^H4194 flies^H2070 cause the ointment^H8081 of the apothecary^H7543^(H8802) to send forth^H5042^(H8686) a stinking savour^H887^(H8686): so doth a little^H4592 folly^H5531 him that is in reputation^H3368 for wisdom^H2451 and honour^H3519.

² A wise man’s heart is at his right hand, but a fool’s heart at his left.

KJVA wise man's^H2450 heart^H3820 is at his right hand^H3225; but a fool's^H3684 heart^H3820 at his left^H8040.

³ Yes also when the fool walks by the way, his understanding fails him, and he says to everyone that he is a fool.

KJVYea also, when he that is a fool^H5530 walketh^H1980^(H8802) by the way^H1870, his wisdom^H3820 faileth^H2638 him, and he saith^H559^(H8804) to every one that he is a fool^H5530.

⁴ If the spirit of the ruler rises up against you, don’t leave your place; for gentleness lays great offenses to rest.

KJVIf the spirit^H7307 of the ruler^H4910^(H8802) rise up^H5927^(H8799) against thee, leave^H3240^(H8686) not thy place^H4725; for yielding^H4832 pacifieth^H3240^(H8686) great^H1419 offences^H2399.

⁵ There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, the sort of error which proceeds from the ruler.

KJVThere is^H3426 an evil^H7451 which I have seen^H7200^(H8804) under the sun^H8121, as an error^H7684 which proceedeth^H3318^(H8802) from^H6440 the ruler^H7989:

⁶ Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place.

KJVFolly^H5529 is set^H5414^(H8738) in great^H7227 dignity^H4791, and the rich^H6223 sit^H3427^(H8799) in low place^H8216.

⁷ I have seen servants on horses, and princes walking like servants on the earth.

KJVI have seen^H7200^(H8804) servants^H5650 upon horses^H5483, and princes^H8269 walking^H1980^(H8802) as servants^H5650 upon the earth^H776.

⁸ He who digs a pit may fall into it; and whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.

KJVHe that diggeth^H2658^(H8802) a pit^H1475 shall fall^H5307^(H8799) into it; and whoso breaketh^H6555^(H8802) an hedge^H1447, a serpent^H5175 shall bite^H5391^(H8799) him.

⁹ Whoever carves out stones may be injured by them. Whoever splits wood may be endangered by it.

KJVWhoso removeth^H5265^(H8688) stones^H68 shall be hurt^H6087^(H8735) therewith; and he that cleaveth^H1234^(H8802) wood^H6086 shall be endangered^H5533^(H8735) thereby.

¹⁰ If the ax is blunt, and one doesn’t sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but skill brings success.

KJVIf the iron^H1270 be blunt^H6949^(H8765), and he do not whet^H7043^(H8773) the edge^H6440, then must he put^H1396^(H8762) to more strength^H2428: but wisdom^H2451 is profitable^H3504 to direct^H3787^(H8687).

¹¹ If the snake bites before it is charmed, then is there no profit for the charmer’s tongue.

KJVSurely the serpent^H5175 will bite^H5391^(H8799) without enchantment^H3908; and a babbler^H3956^H1167 is no better^H3504.

¹² The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but a fool is swallowed by his own lips.

KJVThe words^H1697 of a wise man's^H2450 mouth^H6310 are gracious^H2580; but the lips^H8193 of a fool^H3684 will swallow up^H1104^(H8762) himself.

¹³ The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.

KJVThe beginning^H8462 of the words^H1697 of his mouth^H6310 is foolishness^H5531: and the end^H319 of his talk^H6310 is mischievous^H7451 madness^H1948.

¹⁴ A fool also multiplies words. Man doesn’t know what will be; and that which will be after him, who can tell him?

KJVA fool^H5530 also is full^H7235^(H8686) of words^H1697: a man^H120 cannot tell^H3045^(H8799) what shall be; and what shall be after^H310 him, who can tell^H5046^(H8686) him?

¹⁵ The labor of fools wearies every one of them; for he doesn’t know how to go to the city.

KJVThe labour^H5999 of the foolish^H3684 wearieth^H3021^(H8762) every one of them, because he knoweth^H3045^(H8804) not how to go^H3212^(H8800) to the city^H5892.

¹⁶ Woe to you, land, when your king is a child, and your princes eat in the morning!

KJVWoe^H337 to thee, O land^H776, when thy king^H4428 is a child^H5288, and thy princes^H8269 eat^H398^(H8799) in the morning^H1242!

¹⁷ Happy are you, land, when your king is the son of nobles, and your princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

KJVBlessed^H835 art thou, O land^H776, when thy king^H4428 is the son^H1121 of nobles^H2715, and thy princes^H8269 eat^H398^(H8799) in due season^H6256, for strength^H1369, and not for drunkenness^H8358!

¹⁸ By slothfulness the roof sinks in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaks.

KJVBy much slothfulness^H6103 the building^H4746 decayeth^H4355^(H8735); and through idleness^H8220 of the hands^H3027 the house^H1004 droppeth through^H1811^(H8799).

¹⁹ A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes the life glad; and money is the answer for all things.

KJVA feast^H3899 is made^H6213^(H8802) for laughter^H7814, and wine^H3196 maketh merry^H8055^(H8762)^H2416: but money^H3701 answereth^H6030^(H8799) all things.

²⁰ Don’t curse the king, no, not in your thoughts; and don’t curse the rich in your bedroom, for a bird of the sky may carry your voice, and that which has wings may tell the matter.

KJVCurse^H7043^(H8762) not the king^H4428, no not in thy thought^H4093; and curse^H7043^(H8762) not the rich^H6223 in thy bedchamber^H2315^H4904: for a bird^H5775 of the air^H8064 shall carry^H3212^(H8686) the voice^H6963, and that which hath^H1167 wings^H3671 shall tell^H5046^(H8686) the matter^H1697.

WEB·Ecclesiastes 9

¹For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn’t know it; all is before them.

KJVFor all this I considered^H5414^(H8804) in my heart^H3820 even to declare^H952^(H8800) all this, that the righteous^H6662, and the wise^H2450, and their works^H5652, are in the hand^H3027 of God^H430: no man^H120 knoweth^H3045^(H8802) either^H1571 love^H160 or hatred^H8135 by all that is before^H6440 them.

² All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn’t sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath, as he who fears an oath.

KJVAll things come alike to all: there is one^H259 event^H4745 to the righteous^H6662, and to the wicked^H7563; to the good^H2896 and to the clean^H2889, and to the unclean^H2931; to him that sacrificeth^H2076^(H8802), and to him that^H834 sacrificeth^H2076^(H8802) not: as is the good^H2896, so is the sinner^H2398^(H8802); and he that sweareth^H7650^(H8737), as he that feareth^H3373 an oath^H7621.

³ This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all. Yes 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.

KJVThis is an evil^H7451 among all things that are done^H6213^(H8738) under the sun^H8121, that there is one^H259 event^H4745 unto all: yea, also the heart^H3820 of the sons^H1121 of men^H120 is full^H4390^(H8804) of evil^H7451, and madness^H1947 is in their heart^H3824 while they live^H2416, and after^H310 that they go to the dead^H4191^(H8801).

⁴ For to him who is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

KJVFor^H4310 to him that is^H3426 joined^H2266^(H8792)^(H8675)^H977^(H8792) to all the living^H2416 there is hope^H986: for a living^H2416 dog^H3611 is better^H2896 than a dead^H4191^(H8801) lion^H738.

⁵ For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten.

KJVFor the living^H2416 know^H3045^(H8802) that they shall die^H4191^(H8799): but the dead^H4191^(H8801) know^H3045^(H8802) not any thing^H3972, neither have they any more a reward^H7939; for the memory^H2143 of them is forgotten^H7911^(H8738).

⁶ Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither do they any longer have a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.

KJVAlso their love^H160, and their hatred^H8135, and their envy^H7068, is now^H3528 perished^H6^(H8804); neither have they any more a portion^H2506 for ever^H5769 in any thing that is done^H6213^(H8738) under the sun^H8121.

⁷ Go your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works.

KJVGo thy way^H3212^(H8798), eat^H398^(H8798) thy bread^H3899 with joy^H8057, and drink^H8354^(H8798) thy wine^H3196 with a merry^H2896 heart^H3820; for God^H430 now^H3528 accepteth^H7521^(H8804) thy works^H4639.

⁸ Let your garments be always white, and don’t let your head lack oil.

KJVLet thy garments^H899 be always^H6256 white^H3836; and let thy head^H7218 lack^H2637^(H8799) no ointment^H8081.

⁹ Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity, for that is your portion in life, and in your labor in which you labor under the sun.

KJVLive^H2416 joyfully^H7200^(H8798) with the wife^H802 whom thou lovest^H157^(H8804) all the days^H3117 of the life^H2416 of thy vanity^H1892, which he hath given^H5414^(H8804) thee under the sun^H8121, all the days^H3117 of thy vanity^H1892: for that is thy portion^H2506 in this life^H2416, and in thy labour^H5999 which thou takest^H6001 under the sun^H8121.

¹⁰ Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going.

KJVWhatsoever thy hand^H3027 findeth^H4672^(H8799) to do^H6213^(H8800), do^H6213^(H8798) it with thy might^H3581; for there is no work^H4639, nor device^H2808, nor knowledge^H1847, nor wisdom^H2451, in the grave^H7585, whither thou goest^H1980^(H8802).

¹¹ I 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 favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.

KJVI returned^H7725^(H8804), and saw^H7200^(H8800) under the sun^H8121, that the race^H4793 is not to the swift^H7031, nor the battle^H4421 to the strong^H1368, neither yet bread^H3899 to the wise^H2450, nor yet riches^H6239 to men of understanding^H995^(H8737), nor yet favour^H2580 to men of skill^H3045^(H8802); but time^H6256 and chance^H6294 happeneth^H7136^(H8799) to them all.

¹² For man also doesn’t know his time. As the fish that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them.

KJVFor man^H120 also knoweth^H3045^(H8799) not his time^H6256: as the fishes^H1709 that are taken^H270^(H8737) in an evil^H7451 net^H4685, and as the birds^H6833 that are caught^H270^(H8803) in the snare^H6341; so^H1992 are the sons^H1121 of men^H120 snared^H3369^(H8795) in an evil^H7451 time^H6256, when it falleth^H5307^(H8799) suddenly^H6597 upon them.

¹³ I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to me.

KJVThis^H2090 wisdom^H2451 have I seen^H7200^(H8804) also under the sun^H8121, and it seemed great^H1419 unto me:

¹⁴ There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.

KJVThere was a little^H6996 city^H5892, and few^H4592 men^H582 within it; and there came^H935^(H8804) a great^H1419 king^H4428 against it, and besieged^H5437^(H8804) it, and built^H1129^(H8804) great^H1419 bulwarks^H4685 against it:

¹⁵ Now a poor wise man was found in it, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.

KJVNow there was found^H4672^(H8804) in it a poor^H4542 wise^H2450 man^H376, and he by his wisdom^H2451 delivered^H4422^(H8765) the city^H5892; yet no man^H120 remembered^H2142^(H8804) that same poor^H4542 man^H376.

¹⁶ Then I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

KJVThen said^H559^(H8804) I, Wisdom^H2451 is better^H2896 than strength^H1369: nevertheless the poor man's^H4542 wisdom^H2451 is despised^H959^(H8803), and his words^H1697 are not heard^H8085^(H8737).

¹⁷ The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules among fools.

KJVThe words^H1697 of wise^H2450 men are heard^H8085^(H8737) in quiet^H5183 more than the cry^H2201 of him that ruleth^H4910^(H8802) among fools^H3684.

¹⁸ Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.

KJVWisdom^H2451 is better^H2896 than weapons^H3627 of war^H7128: but one^H259 sinner^H2398^(H8802) destroyeth^H6^(H8762) much^H7235^(H8687) good^H2896.

Section titles come from the Biblion commentary, not from Scripture.

You can also read or listen to the Introduction to the book of Ecclesiastes.