In the Father's Hand
The righteous and the wise are in God's hand, yet one death comes to everyone, which the Teacher calls the evil under the sun. So eat, drink, love your wife through the fleeting days our Father gives, and work hard while you can. Time and chance overtake everyone.
9 1I set my heart to examine all this: the righteous, the wise, and their deeds are in God's hand. Whether love or hatred, no one knows—everything lies ahead of them. 2The same happens to everyone: one fate for the righteous and the wicked, the good, the clean and unclean, the one who sacrifices and the one who doesn't. As with the good, so with the sinner; the one who swears an oath, like the one afraid to swear. 3This is the evil in all done under the sun: one fate for all. Human hearts are full of evil, madness fills their hearts while they live—then they go to the dead. 4Whoever lives still has hope: a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5For the living know they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no more reward, for their memory is forgotten. 6Their love, their hatred, their envy have already perished; they will never again share in anything done under the sun.
7Go, eat your bread with joy, drink your wine with a glad heart, for God has already approved your deeds. 8Let your garments always be white, and let your head never lack oil. a a v8 White clothing and anointing the head with oil were ancient marks of joy and celebration. 9Enjoy life with the wife you love, all the fleeting days of life God has given you under the sun—all your fleeting days—for that is your portion in life and in the toil you labor at under the sun. 10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your strength, for there's no work or plan or knowledge or wisdom in the grave, where you're going.
11Again I saw under the sun: the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the discerning, nor favor to the skilled—time and chance happen to them all. 12No one knows their time: like fish caught in an evil net, like birds caught in a snare, people are trapped in an evil time that falls on them suddenly.
The Forgotten Wise Man
13I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me: 14A small city with few people: a great king came against it, surrounded it, and built great siegeworks against it. 15A poor wise man was found in it who saved the city by his wisdom, yet no one remembered that poor man. 16I said, "Wisdom is better than strength," yet the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are unheard. 17The quiet words of the wise are heard better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. 18Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.
