For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it be love or hatred, man knoweth it not; all is before them.
All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not; as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
{Another reading is, For who is exempted? With all &c., or, who can choose? With all &c.}For to him that is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
As well their love, as their hatred and their envy, is perished long ago; neither have they any more a portion for ever in anything that is done under the sun.
Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God hath already accepted thy works.
Let thy garments be always white; and let not thy head lack oil.
{Or, Enjoy (Hebrew: See) life}Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of thy life of vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all thy days of vanity: for that is thy portion in life, and in thy labor wherein thou laborest under the sun.
Whatsoever thy hand {Or, attained to do by thy strength, that do}findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest.
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
I have also seen wisdom under the sun on this wise, and it seemed great unto me:
There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.
Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroyeth much good.
Querverweise zu Prediger 9,16 Pred 9,16
Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroyeth much good.
The rich man's wealth is his strong city:The destruction of the poor is their poverty.
Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers that are in a city.
And when the sabbath was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and {Some ancient authorities insert the.}many hearing him were astonished, saying, Whence hath this man these things? and, What is the wisdom that is given unto this man, and what mean such {Greek: powers.}mighty works wrought by his hands?
A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty,And bringeth down the strength of the confidence thereof.
Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of {Or, Jacob}James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were {Greek: caused to stumble.}offended in him.
A wise man {Hebrew: is in strength.}is strong;Yea, a man of knowledge {Hebrew: strengtheneth might.}increaseth might.
The Pharisees therefore answered them, Are ye also led astray?
Hath any of the rulers believed on him, or of the Pharisees?
But this multitude that knoweth not the law are accursed.
So they called a second time the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give glory to God: we know that this man is a sinner.
He therefore answered, Whether he is a sinner, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.
They said therefore unto him, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes?
He answered them, I told you even now, and ye did not hear; wherefore would ye hear it again? would ye also become his disciples?
And they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are disciples of Moses.
We know that God hath spoken unto Moses: but as for this man, we know not whence he is.
The man answered and said unto them, Why, herein is the marvel, that ye know not whence he is, and yet he opened mine eyes.
We know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and do his will, him he heareth.
Since the world began it was never heard that any one opened the eyes of a man born blind.
If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.
They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
For {Or, ye behold}behold your calling, brethren, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong;
and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, did God choose, yea {Many ancient authorities omit and.}and the things that are not, that he might bring to nought the things that are:
that no flesh should glory before God.
For if there come into your {Or, assembly Compare Hebrews 10:25 (Greek)}synagogue a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there come in also a poor man in vile clothing;
and ye have regard to him that weareth the fine clothing, and say, Sit thou here in a good place; and ye say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool;
{Or, are ye not divided}do ye not make distinctions {Or, in your own mind}among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
Hearken, my beloved brethren; did not God choose them that are poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him?
But ye have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and themselves drag you before the judgment-seats?