Ecclesiastes, the Preacher

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 9 -

Death comes to the good and the bad

I have drawn all these things through my heart, so that I might carefully understand. There are just men as well as wise men, and their works are in the hand of God. And yet a man does not know so much as whether he is worthy of love or of hatred.

But all things in the future remain uncertain, because all things happen equally to the just and to the impious, to the good and to the bad, to the pure and to the impure, to those who offer sacrifices and to those who despise sacrifices. As the good are, so also are sinners. As those who commit perjury are, so also are those who swear to the truth.

This is a very great burden among all things that are done under the sun: that the same things happen to everyone. And when the hearts of the sons of men are filled with malice and contempt in their lives, afterwards they shall be dragged down to hell.

There is no one who lives forever, or who even has confidence in this regard. A living dog is better than a dead lion.(a)

For the living know that they themselves will die, yet truly the dead know nothing anymore, nor do they have any recompense. For the memory of them is forgotten.(b)

(c)

Likewise, love and hatred and envy have all perished together, nor have they any place in this age and in the work which is done under the sun.

Enjoy your portion in this life

So then, go and eat your bread with rejoicing, and drink your wine with gladness. For your works are pleasing to God.

Let your garments be white at all times, and let not oil be absent from your head.

Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your uncertain life which have been given to you under the sun, during all the time of your vanity. For this is your portion in life and in your labor, with which you labor under the sun.

Whatever your hand is able to do, do it earnestly. For neither work, nor reason, nor wisdom, nor knowledge will exist in death, toward which you are hurrying.(d)

I turned myself toward another thing, and I saw that under the sun, the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor wealth to the learned, nor grace to the skillful: but there is a time and an end for all these things.

Man does not know his own end. But, just as fish are caught with a hook, and birds are captured with a snare, so are men seized in the evil time, when it will suddenly overwhelm them.

Wisdom is better than strength

This wisdom, likewise, I have seen under the sun, and I have examined it intensely.

There was a small city, with a few men in it. There came against it a great king, who surrounded it, and built fortifications all around it, and the blockade was completed.

And there was found within it, a poor and wise man, and he freed the city through his wisdom, and nothing was recorded afterward of that poor man.

And so, I declared that wisdom is better than strength. But how is it, then, that the wisdom of the poor man is treated with contempt, and his words are not heeded?

The words of the wise are heard in silence, more so than the outcry of a prince among the foolish.

Wisdom is better than weapons of war. And whoever offends in one thing, shall lose many good things.

Footnotes

(a)9:4 This phrase, ‘qui huius rei habeat fiduciam,’ means that no one even thinks that he will live forever in this life. This is not to deny the resurrection, or eternal life. The sacred writer is here referring to an earthly life.(Conte)

(b)9:5 Again, this is to be understood as referring to this life, not to the rewards of eternal life.(Conte)

(c)9:5 Know nothing more:Viz., as to the transactions of this world, in which they have now no part, unless it be revealed to them; neither have they any knowledge or power now of doing any thing to secure their eternal state, (if they have not taken care of it in their lifetime:) nor can they now procure themselves any good, as the living always may do, by the grace of God.(Challoner)

(d)9:10 The term ‘infernos’ has a broader meaning that the word ‘hell.’ In some contexts, it can refer to Hell, but it can also refer, in other contexts, to death, especially death as a misfortune contrasted with the good of life.(Conte)

Death comes to the good and the bad

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.

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.

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.

For to him who is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

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.

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.

Enjoy your portion in this life

Go your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works.

Let your garments be always white, and don’t let your head lack oil.

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.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol,(a) where you are going.

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.

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.

Wisdom is better than strength

I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to me.

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.

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.

Then I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules among fools.

Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.

Footnotes

(a)9:10 Sheol is the place of the dead.