Ecclesiastes 8 – read and compare multiple versions of the Bible

World English Bible

Ecclesiastes 8 (WEBP)

[1] Who is like the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.
[2] I say, “Keep the king’s command!” because of the oath to God.
[3] Don’t be hasty to go out of his presence. Don’t persist in an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him,
[4] for the king’s word is supreme. Who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
[5] Whoever keeps the commandment shall not come to harm, and his wise heart will know the time and procedure.
[6] For there is a time and procedure for every purpose, although the misery of man is heavy on him.
[7] For he doesn’t know that which will be; for who can tell him how it will be?
[8] There is no man who has power over the spirit to contain the spirit; neither does he have power over the day of death. There is no discharge in war; neither shall wickedness deliver those who practice it.
[9] All this I have seen, and applied my mind to every work that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one man has power over another to his hurt.
[10] So I saw the wicked buried. Indeed they came also from holiness. They went and were forgotten in the city where they did this. This also is vanity.
[11] Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
[12] Though a sinner commits crimes a hundred times, and lives long, yet surely I know that it will be better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him.
[13] But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he lengthen days like a shadow, because he doesn’t fear God.
[14] There is a vanity which is done on the earth, that there are righteous 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.
[15] Then I commended mirth, because a man has no better thing under the sun than to eat, to drink, and to be joyful: for that will accompany him in his labor all the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.
[16] When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on the earth (even though eyes see no sleep day or night),
[17] then I saw all the work of God, that man can’t find out the work that is done under the sun, because however much a man labors to seek it out, yet he won’t find it. Yes even though a wise man thinks he can comprehend it, he won’t be able to find it.

Scripture quotations are taken from The World English Bible™ of eBible.org, 2020 stable text edition. It is in the public domain.

King James w/Strong’s #s

Ecclesiastes 8 (KJVS)

[1] Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth () the interpretation of a thing? a man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, () and the boldness of his face shall be changed. ()
[2] I counsel thee to keep () the king’s commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.
[3] Be not hasty () to go out () of his sight: stand () not in an evil thing; for he doeth () whatsoever pleaseth () him.
[4] Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say () unto him, What doest () thou?
[5] Whoso keepeth () the commandment shall feel () no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth () both time and judgment.
[6] Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.
[7] For he knoweth () not that which shall be: for who can tell () him when it shall be?
[8] There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain () the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver () those that are given to it.
[9] All this have I seen, () and applied () my heart unto every work that is done () under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth () over another to his own hurt.
[10] And so I saw () the wicked buried, () who had come () and gone () from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten () in the city where they had so done: () this is also vanity.
[11] Because sentence against an evil work is not executed () speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set () in them to do () evil.
[12] Though a sinner () do () evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, () yet surely I know () that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear () before him:
[13] but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong () his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.
[14] There is a vanity which is done () upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth () according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth () according to the work of the righteous: I said () that this also is vanity.
[15] Then I commended () mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, () and to drink, () and to be merry: () for that shall abide () with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth () him under the sun.
[16] When I applied () mine heart to know () wisdom, and to see () the business that is done () upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth () sleep with his eyes:)
[17] then I beheld () all the work of God, that a man cannot () find out () the work that is done () under the sun: because though a man labour () to seek it out, () yet he shall not find () it; yea farther; though a wise man think () to know () it, yet shall he not be able () to find () it.

Ecclesiastes 8:1 Heb. the strength
Ecclesiastes 8:5 Heb. shall know
Ecclesiastes 8:7 Or, how it shall be?
Ecclesiastes 8:8 Or, casting of weapons

Scripture quotations from The Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible, using the standardized text of 1769. It is in the public domain.

Greek Bible (LXX/BYZ)

Ecclesiastes 8 (BYZ)

[1] τις οιδεν σοφους και τις οιδεν λυσιν ρηματος σοφια ανθρωπου φωτιει προσωπον αυτου και αναιδης προσωπω αυτου μισηθησεται
[2] στομα βασιλεως φυλαξον και περι λογου ορκου θεου μη σπουδασης
[3] απο προσωπου αυτου πορευση μη στης εν λογω πονηρω οτι παν ο εαν θεληση ποιησει
[4] καθως λαλει βασιλευς εξουσιαζων και τις ερει αυτω τι ποιησεις
[5] ο φυλασσων εντολην ου γνωσεται ρημα πονηρον και καιρον κρισεως γινωσκει καρδια σοφου
[6] οτι παντι πραγματι εστιν καιρος και κρισις οτι γνωσις του ανθρωπου πολλη επ αυτον
[7] οτι ουκ εστιν γινωσκων τι το εσομενον οτι καθως εσται τις αναγγελει αυτω
[8] ουκ εστιν ανθρωπος εξουσιαζων εν πνευματι του κωλυσαι συν το πνευμα και ουκ εστιν εξουσια εν ημερα του θανατου και ουκ εστιν αποστολη εν τω πολεμω και ου διασωσει ασεβεια τον παρ αυτης
[9] και συν παν τουτο ειδον και εδωκα την καρδιαν μου εις παν ποιημα ο πεποιηται υπο τον ηλιον τα οσα εξουσιασατο ο ανθρωπος εν ανθρωπω του κακωσαι αυτον
[10] και τοτε ειδον ασεβεις εις ταφους εισαχθεντας και εκ τοπου αγιου επορευθησαν και επηνεθησαν εν τη πολει οτι ουτως εποιησαν και γε τουτο ματαιοτης
[11] οτι ουκ εστιν γινομενη αντιρρησις απο των ποιουντων το πονηρον ταχυ δια τουτο επληροφορηθη καρδια υιων του ανθρωπου εν αυτοις του ποιησαι το πονηρον
[12] ος ημαρτεν εποιησεν το πονηρον απο τοτε και απο μακροτητος αυτω οτι και γε γινωσκω εγω οτι εσται αγαθον τοις φοβουμενοις τον θεον οπως φοβωνται απο προσωπου αυτου
[13] και αγαθον ουκ εσται τω ασεβει και ου μακρυνει ημερας εν σκια ος ουκ εστιν φοβουμενος απο προσωπου του θεου
[14] εστιν ματαιοτης η πεποιηται επι της γης οτι εισι δικαιοι οτι φθανει προς αυτους ως ποιημα των ασεβων και εισιν ασεβεις οτι φθανει προς αυτους ως ποιημα των δικαιων ειπα οτι και γε τουτο ματαιοτης
[15] και επηνεσα εγω συν την ευφροσυνην οτι ουκ εστιν αγαθον τω ανθρωπω υπο τον ηλιον οτι ει μη του φαγειν και του πιειν και του ευφρανθηναι και αυτο συμπροσεσται αυτω εν μοχθω αυτου ημερας ζωης αυτου οσας εδωκεν αυτω ο θεος υπο τον ηλιον
[16] εν οις εδωκα την καρδιαν μου του γνωναι σοφιαν και του ιδειν τον περισπασμον τον πεποιημενον επι της γης οτι και γε εν ημερα και εν νυκτι υπνον εν οφθαλμοις αυτου ουκ εστιν βλεπων
[17] και ειδον συν παντα τα ποιηματα του θεου οτι ου δυνησεται ανθρωπος του ευρειν συν το ποιημα το πεποιημενον υπο τον ηλιον οσα αν μοχθηση ο ανθρωπος του ζητησαι και ουχ ευρησει και γε οσα αν ειπη ο σοφος του γνωναι ου δυνησεται του ευρειν