1 GLT Indeed, all of this I gave to my heart{ in order} to examine all of this: that the righteous and the wise and their work{ are} in the hand of God. Either love or hate, humanity is not knowing; both{ are} to their faces. BSB BSB: So I took all this to heart and concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their deeds, are in God’s hands. Man does not know what lies ahead, whether love or hate.
2 GLT Everything{ is} as for all: one happening for the righteous person and for the wicked person, for the good person, and for the pure person and for the unclean person, and for the person who sacrifices and for the person who does not sacrifice. As the good person, so the sinner; the person who swears{ an oath is} just as the person who fears an oath. BSB BSB: It is the same for all: There is a common fate for the righteous and the wicked, for the good and the bad, for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not. As it is for the good, so it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who makes a vow, so it is for the one who refuses to take a vow.
3 GLT This{ is} a misfortune in everything that is done under the sun: that one happening{ is} for everyone. And also, the heart of the sons of humanity{ is} full of evil and madness{ is} in their heart during their lives and after him{ they go} to the dead. BSB BSB: This is an evil in everything that is done under the sun: There is one fate for everyone. Furthermore, the hearts of men are full of evil and madness while they are alive, and afterward they join the dead.
4 GLT For whoever that is joined to all the living, there is confidence{ for him}— because for a living dog, it{ is} better than the dead lion. BSB BSB: There is hope, however, for anyone who is among the living; for even a live dog is better than a dead lion.
5 GLT For the living know that they will die, but the dead, they are not knowing anything, and there is no longer for them a reward, because their memory is forgotten. BSB BSB: For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, because the memory of them is forgotten.
6 GLT Their love and their hate and their jealousy have already perished. And there is not for them a portion any longer in perpetuity in all that is done under the sun. BSB BSB: Their love, their hate, and their envy have already vanished, and they will never again have a share in all that is done under the sun.
7 GLT Go— eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a good heart, because God has already accepted your deeds. BSB BSB: Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already approved your works:
8 GLT At every time, let your clothes be white and do not let oil be lacking on your head. BSB BSB: Let your garments always be white, and never spare the oil for your head.
9 GLT See life with a wife whom you love all the days of your vaporous life, which he has given to you under the sun,{ that is} all the days of your vapor, for it{ is} your portion in life and in your toil that you{ are} toiling under the sun. BSB BSB: Enjoy life with your beloved wife all the days of the fleeting life that God has given you under the sun—all your fleeting days. For this is your portion in life and in your labor under the sun.
10 GLT Everything that your hand finds to do, do{ it} with your strength, because there is no deed or scheme of things or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, where you are going to there. BSB BSB: Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.
11 GLT I again saw under the sun that not to the swift{ is} the race and not to the mighty{ is} the war and even not to the wise{ is} bread and even not to discerning people{ is} wealth and even not to understanding people{ is} favor, for time and occurrence will happen to all of them. BSB BSB: I saw something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; neither is the bread to the wise, nor the wealth to the intelligent, nor the favor to the skillful. For time and chance happen to all.
12 GLT For even humanity does not know his time. Like the fish that are caught in a troublesome net and like the birds that are caught in the snare— like them, the sons of humanity are snared at a time of misfortune when it falls upon them suddenly. BSB BSB: For surely no man knows his time: Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds trapped in a snare, so men are ensnared in an evil time that suddenly falls upon them.
13 GLT Also, this I saw: wisdom under the sun, and great it{ was} to me. BSB BSB: I have also seen this wisdom under the sun, and it was great to me:
14 GLT { There was} a small city and a few men in it, and a great king came against it, and he besieged it, and he built great siegeworks against it. BSB BSB: There was a small city with few men. A mighty king came against it, surrounded it, and built large siege ramps against it.
15 GLT And he found in it a poor, wise man, and he delivered the city with his wisdom. And a person did not remember that poor man. BSB BSB: Now a poor wise man was found in the city, and he saved the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man.
16 GLT And I said, I,“Better{ is} wisdom than might, but the wisdom of the poor person{ is} despised, and his words— they are not heard.” BSB BSB: And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”
17 GLT { The} words of wise people in quietness are heeded more than the cry of a ruler among the fools. BSB BSB: The calm words of the wise are heeded over the shouts of a ruler among fools.
18 GLT Better{ is} wisdom than weapons of battle, but one sinner will destroy much good. BSB BSB: Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.