Ecclesiastes, Chapter 9:
Verses from Ecclesiastes, Chapter 9 of the book of Ecclesiastes of the Bible.
Everyone's destiny
1. I reflected on all this and came to the conclusion that both the righteous and the wise, as well as their actions, are in the hands of God, and no one can predict what awaits them, be it love or hate.
1. I reflected on all this and came to the conclusion that both the righteous and the wise, as well as their actions, are in the hands of God, and no one can predict what awaits them, be it love or hate.
2. Everyone shares the same destiny: both the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the pure and the unclean, the one who offers sacrifices and the one who does not. What happens to the good man also happens to the sinner; the fate of those who take oaths is the same as those who fear making them.
3. In this world, there is an evil that affects everything that happens under the sun: everyone's destiny is the same. Furthermore, men's hearts are filled with evil and madness throughout their lives, and in the end they will join the dead.
4. While the living have hope, a living dog is considered better than a dead lion!
5. The living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they no longer have reward and are forgotten.
6. Their love, hate, and envy have disappeared, and they will never again have any part in anything that happens under the sun.
7. Therefore, go and enjoy your food and drink your wine with joy in your heart, for God is already pleased with what you do.
8. Always be dressed in party clothes and always anoint your head with oil.
9. Enjoy life with the woman you love, every day of this meaningless life that God gave you under the sun; They are all meaningless days! For this is your reward in life for your hard work under the sun.
10. Whatever your hands must do, do with all your strength, because in the grave, where you go, there is no activity, no planning, no knowledge, no wisdom.
11. I also noticed something else under the sun: the fast do not always win the race; the strong do not always triumph in war; the wise do not always have food; the prudent are not always rich; the educated do not always have prestige, as time and chance affect everyone.
12. Furthermore, no one knows when their time will come: just as fish are caught in a fatal net, and birds are caught in a snare, so men are surprised by the times of misfortune that fall upon them unexpectedly.
Wisdom is better than foolishness.
13. I also saw this example of wisdom under the sun that impressed me greatly:
14. There was a small city, with few inhabitants, which was attacked by a powerful king, surrounded with many war devices.
15. Now in that city there lived a poor but wise man, who with his wisdom managed to save the city. However, no one else remembered this poor man.
16. Therefore I have come to the conclusion that although wisdom is better than strength, the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are soon forgotten.
17. The words of the wise must be listened to more carefully than the cries of those who rule over fools.
18. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but a single sinner can destroy many good things.
