Ecclesiastes 8

1Who is like the wise? Who knows a matter's explanation? A man's wisdom brightens his face, and the strength of his face changes.

2I say, obey the king's decree because of the word of the oath of God.

3Do not hurry away from his presence; do not stand in any evil matter, for he does everything he desires.

4Because the king's word has power, who can say to him, "What are you doing?"

5Whoever guards the commandment will not know an evil matter, and a wise heart knows time and judgment.

6For there is a time and judgment for every purpose, because man's affliction is great upon him.

7For he does not know what will be, for who can tell him what it will be like?

8No one wields mastery over the spirit to hold it back, nor wields mastery on the day of death; there is no release in war, nor will wickedness deliver its masters.

9I have seen all this and directed my heart to every deed done under the sun—there is a season when one man dominates another to his harm.

10So I saw the wicked buried, those who came from the holy place and went away, forgotten in the city where they had acted so—this too is vanity.

11Because the decree against an evil deed is not carried out quickly, the heart of the sons of men is thus filled within them to do evil.

12Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his days, I know for certain that it will go well for those who fear God, who fear before him.

13It will not go well for the wicked, nor will he extend his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.

14There is a vanity done on earth, that there are righteous to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous; I said that this also is vanity.

15I commended joy, for there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat, drink, and rejoice, since that accompanies him in his toil all the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.

16When I set my heart to know wisdom and observe the toil performed upon the earth—for even by day and by night his eyes see no sleep.

17I saw all the work of God, that no human can find the work done under the sun, for however much a person labors to seek it, he will not find it; even if a wise man claims to know it, he still cannot find it.