8:1 Who is 1 a 2 wise person? Who knows the solution 3 to a problem? 4
A person’s wisdom brightens his appearance, 5 and softens 6 his harsh countenance. 7
8:2 Obey the king’s command, 8
because you took 9 an oath before God 10 to be loyal to him. 11
8:3 Do not rush out of the king’s presence in haste – do not delay when the matter is unpleasant, 12
for he can do whatever he pleases.
8:4 Surely the king’s authority 13 is absolute; 14
no one can say 15 to him, “What are you doing?”
8:5 Whoever obeys his 16 command will not experience harm,
and a wise person 17 knows the proper time 18 and procedure.
8:6 For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter,
for the oppression 19 of the king 20 is severe upon his victim. 21
8:7 Surely no one knows the future, 22
and no one can tell another person what will happen. 23
8:8 Just as no one has power over the wind to restrain it, 24
so no one has power over the day of his 25 death.
Just as no one can be discharged during the battle, 26
so wickedness cannot rescue the wicked. 27
8:9 While applying 28 my mind 29 to everything 30 that happens in this world, 31 I have seen all this:
Sometimes one person 32 dominates 33 other people 34 to their harm. 35
8:10 Not only that, 36 but I have seen the wicked approaching 37 and entering the temple, 38
and as they left the holy temple, 39 they
boasted 40 in the city that they had done so.
This also is an enigma. 41
8:11 When 42 a sentence 43 is not executed 44 at once against a crime, 45
the human heart 46 is encouraged to do evil. 47
8:12 Even though a sinner might commit a hundred crimes 48 and still live a long time, 49
yet I know that it will go well with God-fearing people 50 – for they stand in fear 51 before him.
8:13 But it will not go well with the wicked,
nor will they 52 prolong their 53 days like a shadow, 54
because they 55 do not stand in fear 56 before God.
8:14 Here is 57 another 58 enigma 59 that occurs on earth:
Sometimes there are righteous people who get what the wicked deserve, 60
and sometimes there are wicked people who get what the righteous deserve. 61
I said, “This also is an enigma.”
8:15 So I recommend the enjoyment of life, 62
for there is nothing better on earth 63 for a person to do 64 except 65 to eat, drink, and enjoy 66 life. 67
So 68 joy 69 will accompany him in his toil
during the days of his life which God gives him on earth. 70