Ecclesiastes 9 — ULB
9Verse 1For I thought about all this in my mind to understand about the righteous and wise people and their deeds. They are all in God's hands. No one knows whether love or hate will come to someone.Verse 2Everyone has the same fate. The same fate awaitsrighteous people and wicked,
the good,+
the clean and the unclean,
and the one who sacrifices and the one who does not sacrifice.As good people will die,so also will the sinner.As the one who swears will die,so also will the man who fears to make an oath.Verse 3There is an evil fate for everything that is done under the sun, the same event happens to them all. The hearts of human beings are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live. So after that they go to the dead.Verse 4For anyone who is united to all the living, there is hope, just as a living dog is better than a dead lion.+Verse 5For living people know they will die,but the dead do not know anything.They no longer have any rewardbecause their memory is forgotten.Verse 6Their love, hatred, and envyhave vanished long ago.They will never have a place againin anything done under the sun.Verse 7Go your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of celebrating good works.Verse 8Let your clothes be always white and your head anointed with oil.Verse 9Live happily with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of uselessness, the days that God has given you under the sun during your days of uselessness. That is your reward in life for your work under the sun.Verse 10Whatever your hand finds to do, work at it with your strength, because there is no work or explanation or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, where you are going.Verse 11I have seen some interesting things under the sun:The race does not belong to swift people.
The battle does not belong to strong people.
Bread does not belong to wise people.
Riches do not belong to people of understanding.
Favor does not belong to people of knowledge.Instead, time and chance affect them all.
Verse 12Surely, no one knows when his time will come.As fish are caught in a deadly net,
or birds are caught in a snare,the children of human beings are ensnared by evil timesthat suddenly fall upon them.Verse 13I have also seen wisdom under the sun in a way that seemed great to me.Verse 14There was a small city with only a few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it and built great siege ramps against it.Verse 15Now in the city was found a poor, wise man, who by his wisdom saved the city. Yet later, no one remembered that same poor man.Verse 16So I concluded, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.”Verse 17The words of wise people spoken quietly are heard betterthan the shouts of any ruler among fools.Verse 18Wisdom is better than weapons of war,but one sinner can ruin much good.
the good,+
the clean and the unclean,
and the one who sacrifices and the one who does not sacrifice.As good people will die,so also will the sinner.As the one who swears will die,so also will the man who fears to make an oath.Verse 3There is an evil fate for everything that is done under the sun, the same event happens to them all. The hearts of human beings are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live. So after that they go to the dead.Verse 4For anyone who is united to all the living, there is hope, just as a living dog is better than a dead lion.+Verse 5For living people know they will die,but the dead do not know anything.They no longer have any rewardbecause their memory is forgotten.Verse 6Their love, hatred, and envyhave vanished long ago.They will never have a place againin anything done under the sun.Verse 7Go your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of celebrating good works.Verse 8Let your clothes be always white and your head anointed with oil.Verse 9Live happily with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of uselessness, the days that God has given you under the sun during your days of uselessness. That is your reward in life for your work under the sun.Verse 10Whatever your hand finds to do, work at it with your strength, because there is no work or explanation or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, where you are going.Verse 11I have seen some interesting things under the sun:The race does not belong to swift people.
The battle does not belong to strong people.
Bread does not belong to wise people.
Riches do not belong to people of understanding.
Favor does not belong to people of knowledge.Instead, time and chance affect them all.
Verse 12Surely, no one knows when his time will come.As fish are caught in a deadly net,
or birds are caught in a snare,the children of human beings are ensnared by evil timesthat suddenly fall upon them.Verse 13I have also seen wisdom under the sun in a way that seemed great to me.Verse 14There was a small city with only a few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it and built great siege ramps against it.Verse 15Now in the city was found a poor, wise man, who by his wisdom saved the city. Yet later, no one remembered that same poor man.Verse 16So I concluded, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.”Verse 17The words of wise people spoken quietly are heard betterthan the shouts of any ruler among fools.Verse 18Wisdom is better than weapons of war,but one sinner can ruin much good.