Ecclesiastes 9 – read and compare multiple versions of the Bible

World English Bible

Ecclesiastes 9 (WEBP)

[1] 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 the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn’t sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath, as he who fears an oath.
[3] This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all. Yes also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
[4] For to him who is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
[5] For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten.
[6] Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither do they any longer have a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.
[7] Go your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works.
[8] Let your garments be always white, and don’t let your head lack oil.
[9] Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity, for that is your portion in life, and in your labor in which you labor under the sun.
[10] Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going.
[11] I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.
[12] For man also doesn’t know his time. As the fish that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them.
[13] I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to me.
[14] There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.
[15] Now a poor wise man was found in it, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
[16] Then I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
[17] The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules among fools.
[18] Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 Sheol is the place of the dead.

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 9 (KJVS)

[1] For all this I considered () in my heart even to declare () all this, that the righteous , and the wise , and their works , [are] in the hand of God : no man knoweth () either love or hatred [by] all [that is] before them.
[2] All [things come] alike to all: [there is] one event to the righteous , and to the wicked ; to the good and to the clean , and to the unclean ; to him that sacrificeth (), and to him that sacrificeth () not: as [is] the good , so [is] the sinner (); [and] he that sweareth (), as [he] that feareth an oath .
[3] This [is] an evil among all [things] that are done () under the sun , that [there is] one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full () of evil , and madness [is] in their heart while they live , and after that [they go] to the dead ().
[4] For to him that is joined () (8675) () to all the living there is hope : for a living dog is better than a dead () lion .
[5] For the living know () that they shall die (): but the dead () know () not any thing , neither have they any more a reward ; for the memory of them is forgotten ().
[6] Also their love , and their hatred , and their envy , is now perished (); neither have they any more a portion for ever in any [thing] that is done () under the sun .
[7] Go thy way (), eat () thy bread with joy , and drink () thy wine with a merry heart ; for God now accepteth () thy works .
[8] Let thy garments be always white ; and let thy head lack () no ointment .
[9] Live joyfully () with the wife whom thou lovest () all the days of the life of thy vanity , which he hath given () thee under the sun , all the days of thy vanity : for that [is] thy portion in [this] life , and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun .
[10] Whatsoever thy hand findeth () to do (), do () [it] with thy might ; for [there is] no work , nor device , nor knowledge , nor wisdom , in the grave , whither thou goest ().
[11] I returned (), and saw () under the sun , that the race [is] not to the swift , nor the battle to the strong , neither yet bread to the wise , nor yet riches to men of understanding (), nor yet favour to men of skill (); but time and chance happeneth () to them all.
[12] For man also knoweth () not his time : as the fishes that are taken () in an evil net , and as the birds that are caught () in the snare ; so [are] the sons of men snared () in an evil time , when it falleth () suddenly upon them.
[13] This wisdom have I seen () also under the sun , and it [seemed] great unto me:
[14] [There was] a little city , and few men within it; and there came () a great king against it, and besieged () it, and built () great bulwarks against it:
[15] Now there was found () in it a poor wise man , and he by his wisdom delivered () the city ; yet no man remembered () that same poor man .
[16] Then said () I, Wisdom [is] better than strength : nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom [is] despised (), and his words are not heard ().
[17] The words of wise [men are] heard () in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth () among fools .
[18] Wisdom [is] better than weapons of war : but one sinner () destroyeth () much () good .

Young’s Literal Translation

Ecclesiastes 9 (YLT)

[1] 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 wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean, and to him who is sacrificing, and to him who is not sacrificing; as is the good, so is the sinner, he who is swearing as he who is fearing an oath.
[3] This is an evil among all that hath been done under the sun, that one event is to all, and also the heart of the sons of man is full of evil, and madness is in their heart during their life, and after it-unto the dead.
[4] But to him who is joined unto all the living there is confidence, for to a living dog it is better than to the dead lion.
[5] For the living know that they die, and the dead know not anything, and there is no more to them a reward, for their remembrance hath been forgotten.
[6] Their love also, their hatred also, their envy also, hath already perished, and they have no more a portion to the age in all that hath been done under the sun.
[7] Go, eat with joy thy bread, and drink with a glad heart thy wine, for already hath God been pleased with thy works.
[8] At all times let thy garments be white, and let not perfume be lacking on thy head.
[9] See life with the wife whom thou hast loved, all the days of the life of thy vanity, that He hath given to thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity, for it is thy portion in life, even of thy labour that thou art labouring at under the sun.
[10] All that thy hand findeth to do, with thy power do, for there is no work, and device, and knowledge, and wisdom in Sheol whither thou art going.
[11] I have turned so as to see under the sun, that not to the swift is the race, nor to the mighty the battle, nor even to the wise bread, nor even to the intelligent wealth, nor even to the skilful grace, for time and chance happen with them all.
[12] For even man knoweth not his time; as fish that are taken hold of by an evil net, and as birds that are taken hold of by a snare, like these are the sons of man snared at an evil time, when it falleth upon them suddenly.
[13] This also I have seen: wisdom under the sun, and it is great to me.
[14] A little city, and few men in it, and a great king hath come unto it, and hath surrounded it, and hath built against it great bulwarks;
[15] and there hath been found in it a poor wise man, and he hath delivered the city by his wisdom, and men have not remembered that poor man!
[16] And I said, ‘Better is wisdom than might, and the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.’-
[17] The words of the wise in quiet are heard, More than the cry of a ruler over fools.
[18] Better is wisdom than weapons of conflict, And one sinner destroyeth much good!