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¹ WHO is like the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A mans wisdom makes his face to shine, but he who is impudent shall be hated.² Keep the kings command, and in regard of the oath of God be not hasty.³ Go from his presence; and do not stand firm in an evil matter; for he does whatsoever pleases him.⁴ In what manner the king speaks is lawful; and who can say to him, What are you doing?⁵ He who keeps a command shall know no evil thing; and a wise mans heart discerns both time and judgment.

⁶ Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, because the misery of man is great upon him.⁷ For there is no one who knows that which has been; and who can tell him what will be after him?⁸ There is no man who has power over the wind to withhold the wind; neither has he power over the day of death; and there is no escape from duty in the day of battle; neither shall wickedness deliver those who are given to it.

⁹ All this have I seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun; there is a time wherein one man rules over another to hurt him.¹⁰ And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the holy place, and they were forgotten in the city where they had done such evil things; this also is vanity.¹¹ Because vengeance against the evil-doers is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.¹² He who sins does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with the worshippers of the LORD, that they may fear before him;¹³ But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are like a shadow; because he does not fear before God.

¹⁴ There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; there are just men, to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked; and there are wicked men, to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous; I said that this also is vanity.¹⁵ Then I commended mirth, because there is nothing better for a man under the sun than to eat and to drink and to be merry; for that shall accompany him in his labor all the days of his life, which God gives him under the sun.¹⁶ Therefore I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business which is done upon the earth; for there are those whose eyes see no sleep either day or night.¹⁷ Then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work which is done under the sun; all that a man may labor to seek out, yet he will not find it; and whosoever says that he is wise yet will not be able to find it.