Ecclesiastes 9 - English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)

Death Comes to All

9 But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, (A)how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are (B)in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him. 2 (C)It is the same for all, since (D)the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil,[a] to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who (E)swears is as he who shuns an oath. 3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that (F)the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and (G)madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. 4 But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they will die, but (H)the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for (I)the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and for ever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.

Enjoy Life with the One You Love

7 Go, (J)eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.

8 (K)Let your garments be always white. Let not (L)oil be lacking on your head.

9 Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your (M)vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your (N)portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, (O)do it with your might,[b] (P)for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

Wisdom Better than Folly

11 (Q)Again I saw that under the sun (R)the race is not to the swift, nor (S)the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favour to those with knowledge, but time and (T)chance (U)happen to them all. 12 For man (V)does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and (W)like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are (X)snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.

13 I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. 14 There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siege works against it. 15 But there was found in it (Y)a poor, wise man, and he by his (Z)wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. 16 But I say that (AA)wisdom is better than might, though (AB)the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.

17 The words of the wise heard in (AC)quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. 18 (AD)Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but (AE)one sinner destroys much good.

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 9:2 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew lacks and the evil
  2. Ecclesiastes 9:10 Or finds to do with your might, do it

Cross references

  1. Ecclesiastes 9:1 : [ch. 8:14]
  2. Ecclesiastes 9:1 : Deut. 33:3
  3. Ecclesiastes 9:2 : Job 9:22
  4. Ecclesiastes 9:2 : See ch. 2:14
  5. Ecclesiastes 9:2 : Zech. 5:3; [Mal. 3:5]
  6. Ecclesiastes 9:3 : [See ver. 2 above]; Job 9:22
  7. Ecclesiastes 9:3 : ch. 1:17
  8. Ecclesiastes 9:5 : Job 14:21
  9. Ecclesiastes 9:5 : ch. 1:11; 8:10; Ps. 31:12; 88:5, 12; Isa. 26:14
  10. Ecclesiastes 9:7 : See ch. 2:24
  11. Ecclesiastes 9:8 : [Rev. 3:4]
  12. Ecclesiastes 9:8 : Ps. 23:5
  13. Ecclesiastes 9:9 : ch. 6:12; 7:15
  14. Ecclesiastes 9:9 : See ch. 2:10
  15. Ecclesiastes 9:10 : Rom. 12:11; Col. 3:23
  16. Ecclesiastes 9:10 : [ver. 5]
  17. Ecclesiastes 9:11 : ch. 4:1, 7
  18. Ecclesiastes 9:11 : Amos 2:14, 15; [Rom. 9:16]
  19. Ecclesiastes 9:11 : [2 Chr. 20:15; Jer. 9:23]
  20. Ecclesiastes 9:11 : [1 Kgs. 22:34]
  21. Ecclesiastes 9:11 : See ch. 2:14
  22. Ecclesiastes 9:12 : [ch. 8:7]
  23. Ecclesiastes 9:12 : Prov. 7:23
  24. Ecclesiastes 9:12 : [Prov. 29:6; Ezek. 12:13; Hos. 7:12; Luke 21:34, 35; 1 Thess. 5:3]
  25. Ecclesiastes 9:15 : [ch. 4:13]
  26. Ecclesiastes 9:15 : ver. 18; [2 Sam. 20:22]
  27. Ecclesiastes 9:16 : See ch. 7:19
  28. Ecclesiastes 9:16 : [Mark 6:2, 3]
  29. Ecclesiastes 9:17 : ch. 4:6
  30. Ecclesiastes 9:18 : ver. 16
  31. Ecclesiastes 9:18 : [Josh. 7:1]

You Might Also Like:

Ecclesiastes 9 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

9 But all this I have laid unto my heart, so as to clear up the whole of this, that the righteous and the wise, and their works, [are] in the hand of God, neither love nor hatred doth man know, the whole [is] before them. 2 The whole [is] as to the whole; one event is to the righteous and to the wic...
Read More

Ecclesiastes 9 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

9 I treated all these things in mine heart, to understand diligently. Just men, and wise men there be, and their works be in the hand of God; and nevertheless a man knoweth not, whether he is worthy of love or of hate. (I treated, or considered, all these things in my mind, to diligently understand ...
Read More

Ecclesiastes 9 - World English Bible (WEB)

9 For 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. 2 All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to th...
Read More

Ecclesiastes 9 - The Voice (VOICE)

9 Teacher: So I set my mind on all of this, examined it thoroughly, and here’s what I think: The righteous and the wise and all their deeds are in God’s hands. Whether they are destined to be loved or hated, no one but God knows. 2 Everyone shares a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the ...
Read More

Ecclesiastes 9 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

One Destiny for All9 For all this I laid on my heart and to ascertain all this: that the righteous and the wise, as well as their works are in the hand of God. Whether love or hatred, no one knows—everything awaits them. 2 Everyone shares the same destiny: for the righteous and the wicked; for the g...
Read More

Ecclesiastes 9 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Take Life as It Comes9 But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hate man does not know. Everything before them is vanity,[a] 2 since one fate comes to all, to the righteous and the wicked, to the goo...
Read More

Ecclesiastes 9 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Take Life as It Comes9 All this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hate one does not know. Everything that confronts them 2 is vanity,[a] since the same fate comes to all, to the righteous and the wicked, t...
Read More

Ecclesiastes 9 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Take Life as It Comes9 All this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hate one does not know. Everything that confronts them 2 is vanity,[a] since the same fate comes to all, to the righteous and the wicked, to...
Read More

Ecclesiastes 9 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Death Comes to All9 This, too, I carefully explored: Even though the actions of godly and wise people are in God’s hands, no one knows whether God will show them favor. 2 The same destiny ultimately awaits everyone, whether righteous or wicked, good or bad,[a] ceremonially clean or unclean, religiou...
Read More

Ecclesiastes 9 - New Life Version (NLV)

9 For I have thought of all this, how good and wise men and their works are in the hand of God. Man does not know if love or hate is waiting for them. 2 It is the same for all. The same thing will happen to both the man who is good and the man who is sinful. The same thing will happen to the clean a...
Read More

Ecclesiastes 9 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Death Comes to All9 For I [a]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 r...
Read More

Ecclesiastes 9 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

A common destiny for all9 So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them. 2 All share a common destiny – the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad,[a] the clean and the unclean,...
Read More

Ecclesiastes 9 - New International Version (NIV)

A Common Destiny for All9 So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them.(A) 2 All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad,[a] the clean and the unclean,...
Read More

Ecclesiastes 9 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Everyone Dies9 I thought about all these things. I realized that those who are wise and do what is right are under God’s control. What they do is also under his control. But no one knows whether they will be loved or hated. 2 Everyone will die someday. Death comes to godly and sinful people alike. ...
Read More

Ecclesiastes 9 - New English Translation (NET)

Everyone Will Die9 So I reflected on all this,[a] attempting to clear[b] it all up.I concluded that[c] the righteous and the wise, as well as their works, are in the hand of God;whether a person will be loved or hated[d]—no one knows what lies ahead.[e]2 Everyone shares the same fate[f]—the righteou...
Read More