1 GLT Who{ is} like the wise person and who knows{ the} interpretation of a matter?{ The} wisdom of a person gives light{ to} his face and the strength of his face is changed. BSB BSB: Who is like the wise man? Who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed.
2 GLT { As for} me— listen{ to} the mouth of a king, that is, on account of the oath of God. BSB BSB: Keep the king’s command, I say, because of your oath before God.
3 GLT Do not be horrified from his face— go! Do not stand in an evil matter, for everything that he pleases, he will do, BSB BSB: Do not hasten to leave his presence, and do not persist in a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases.
4 GLT because{ the} word of a king{ is} authoritative, and who will say to him,“What are you doing?” BSB BSB: For the king’s word is supreme, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
5 GLT One who listens to a command will not know an evil matter, and a wise heart will know a time and judgment, BSB BSB: Whoever keeps his command will come to no harm, and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure.
6 GLT because for every matter, there is a time and judgment, because the misfortune of humanity is severe upon him, BSB BSB: For there is a right time and procedure to every purpose, though a man’s misery weighs heavily upon him.
7 GLT because he is not knowing whatever that will be, for when it will be, who will declare{ it} to him? BSB BSB: Since no one knows what will happen, who can tell him what is to come?
8 GLT No person{ is} a ruler over the spirit to restrain the spirit, nor is there authority over the day of death, nor is there discharge in war, nor will wickedness deliver its masters. BSB BSB: As no man has power over the wind to contain it, so no one has authority over his day of death. As no one can be discharged in wartime, so wickedness will not release those who practice it.
9 GLT All this I saw, giving my heart to every deed that was done under the sun: a time that the person has dominion over{ another} person to his harm. BSB BSB: All this I have seen, applying my mind to every deed that is done under the sun; there is a time when one man lords it over another to his own detriment.
10 GLT And then, I saw wicked people buried, and they went out, and from a holy place they walked. And they will be forgotten in the city where thus they had done. This also{ is} vapor: BSB BSB: Then too, I saw the burial of the wicked who used to go in and out of the holy place, and they were praised in the city where they had done so. This too is futile.
11 GLT that a decree concerning the evil deed is not made quickly, therefore, the heart of the sons of humanity is full in them to do evil; BSB BSB: When the sentence for a crime is not speedily executed, the hearts of men become fully set on doing evil.
12 GLT that a sinner is doing evil a hundred times and lengthening{ days} for himself— yet also I know that it will be good for those who fear God, who fear from before his face. BSB BSB: Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and still lives long, yet I also know that it will go well with those who fear God, who are reverent in His presence.
13 GLT But it will not be good for the wicked, nor will he lengthen{ his} days like the shadow, because he is not fearing before the face of God. BSB BSB: Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.
14 GLT There is vapor that is done on the earth: that there are righteous people who{ it} befalls to them like the deeds of the wicked people, and there are wicked people who{ it} befalls to them like the deeds of the righteous people. I say that also this{ is} vapor. BSB BSB: There is a futility that is done on the earth: There are righteous men who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, and there are wicked men who get what the actions of the righteous deserve. I say that this too is futile.
15 GLT And I praised, I, joy, that there is nothing good for humanity under the sun except to eat and to drink and to rejoice, and it will accompany him in his toil{ during} the days of his life that God has given to him under the sun. BSB BSB: So I commended the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be merry. For this joy will accompany him in his labor during the days of his life that God gives him under the sun.
16 GLT When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on the earth— for even in the day and in the night sleep in his eyes he is not seeing— BSB BSB: When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the task that one performs on the earth—though his eyes do not see sleep in the day or even in the night—
17 GLT and I saw every deed of God, that humanity is not able to find the deed that is done under the sun, in that to which humanity will toil to seek, yet he will not find{ it}. Also, even if the wise person says to know, he is not able to find{ it}. BSB BSB: I saw every work of God, and that a man is unable to comprehend the work that is done under the sun. Despite his efforts to search it out, he cannot find its meaning; even if the wise man claims to know, he is unable to comprehend.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.