Ecclesiastes 9
1
For I considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all: a that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. People know neither love nor hatred by anything they see before them.
2
b All things come alike to all:
One event happens to the righteous and the wicked;
To the good, the clean, and the unclean;
To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice.
As is the good, so is the sinner;
He who takes an oath as he who fears an oath.
3
This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
4
But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5
For the living know that they will die;
But c the dead know nothing,
And they have no more reward,
For d the memory of them is forgotten.
6
Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished;
Nevermore will they have a share
In anything done under the sun.
7
Go, e eat your bread with joy,
And drink your wine with a merry heart;
For God has already accepted your works.
8
Let your garments always be white,
And let your head lack no oil.
9
Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; f for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun.
10
g Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your h might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
11
I returned i and saw under the sun that -
The race is not to the swift,
Nor the battle to the strong,
Nor bread to the wise,
Nor riches to men of understanding,
Nor favor to men of skill;
But time and j chance happen to them all.
12
For k man also does not know his time:
Like fish taken in a cruel net,
Like birds caught in a snare,
So the sons of men are l snared in an evil time,
When it falls suddenly upon them.
13
This wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and it seemed great to me:
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m There was a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great snares around it.
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Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man.
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Then I said:
"Wisdom is better than n strength.
Nevertheless o the poor man's wisdom is despised,
And his words are not heard.
17
Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard
Rather than the shout of a ruler of fools.
18
Wisdom is better than weapons of war;
But p one sinner destroys much good."
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Cross References
Deuteronomy 33:3
Yes, He loves the people; All His saints are in Your hand; They sit down at Your feet; Everyone receives Your words.
Job 12:10
In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?
Ecclesiastes 8:14
There is a vanity which occurs on earth, that there are just men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.
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Cross References
Genesis 3:17 - 19
Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded ...
Job 21:7
Why do the wicked live and become old, Yes, bec...
Psalms 73:3
For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw t...
Psalms 73:12
Behold, these are the ungodly, Who are always a...
Psalms 73:13
Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, And wa...
Malachi 3:15
So now we call the proud blessed, For those who...
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Cross References
Job 14:21
His sons come to honor, and he does not know it; They are brought low, and he does not perceive it.
Isaiah 63:16
Doubtless You are our Father, Though Abraham was ignorant of us, And Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O LORD, are our Father; Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name.
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Cross References
Job 7:8 - 10
The eye of him who sees me will see me no more; While your eyes are upon me, I shall no longer be.
Ecclesiastes 1:11
There is no remembrance of former things, Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come By those who will come after.
Ecclesiastes 2:16
For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come. And how does a wise man die? As the fool!
Ecclesiastes 8:10
Then I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of holiness, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done. This also is vanity.
Isaiah 26:14
They are dead, they will not live; They are deceased, they will not rise. Therefore You have punished and destroyed them, And made all their memory to perish.
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Cross References
Ecclesiastes 8:15
So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.
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Cross References
Ecclesiastes 2:10
Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor.
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Cross References
Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
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Cross References
Romans 12:11
Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.
Colossians 3:23
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.
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Cross References
Jeremiah 9:23
Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches.
Amos 2:14
Therefore flight shall perish from the swift, The strong shall not strengthen his power, Nor shall the mighty deliver himself.
Amos 2:15
He shall not stand who handles the bow, The swift of foot shall not escape, Nor shall he who rides a horse deliver himself.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 6:9
"And watch: if it goes up the road to its own territory, to Beth Shemesh, then He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we shall know that it is not His hand that struck us - it happened to us by chance."
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Cross References
Ecclesiastes 8:7
For he does not know what will happen; So who can tell him when it will occur?
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Cross References
Proverbs 29:6
By transgression an evil man is snared, But the righteous sings and rejoices.
Luke 12:20
"But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'
Luke 12:39
But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.
Luke 17:26
And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:
1 Thessalonians 5:3
For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
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Cross References
2 Samuel 20:16 - 22
Then a wise woman cried out from the city, "Hear, hear! Please say to Joab, 'Come nearby, that I may speak with you.'
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Cross References
Ecclesiastes 7:12
For wisdom is a defense as money is a defense, But the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it.
Ecclesiastes 7:19
Wisdom strengthens the wise More than ten rulers of the city.
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Cross References
Mark 6:2
And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!
Mark 6:3
Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" So they were offended at Him.
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Cross References
Joshua 7:1 - 26
But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the LORD burned against the children of Israel.
2 Kings 21:2 - 17
And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.