Ecclesiastes 8:2-17

Ecclesiastes 8:2-17

[2] I counsel thee to keep  the king's  commandment,  and that in regard  of the oath  of God.  [3] Be not hasty  of his sight:  stand  not in an evil  thing;  for he doeth  whatsoever pleaseth  [4] Where the word  of a king  is, there is power:  and who may say  unto him, What doest  thou? [5] Whoso keepeth  the commandment  shall feel  no evil  thing:  and a wise man's  heart  discerneth  both time  and judgment.  [6] Because to every purpose  there is  time  and judgment,  therefore the misery  of man  is great  [7] For he knoweth  not that which shall be: for who can tell  him when it shall be? [8] There is no man  that hath power  over the spirit  to retain  the spirit;  neither hath he power  in the day  of death:  and there is no discharge  in that war;  neither shall wickedness  deliver  those that are given  [9] All this have I seen,  and applied  my heart  unto every work  that is done  under the sun:  there is a time  wherein one man  ruleth  over another to his own hurt.  [10] And so  I saw  the wicked  buried,  who had come  and gone  from the place  of the holy,  and they were forgotten  in the city  where they had so done:  this is also vanity.  [11] Because sentence  against an evil  work  is not executed  speedily,  therefore the heart  of the sons  of men  is fully set  in them to do  evil.  [12] Though a sinner  do  evil  an hundred times,  and his days be prolonged,  yet surely I know  that it shall be well  God,  which fear  before  him: [13] But it shall not be well  with the wicked,  neither shall he prolong  his days,  which are as a shadow;  because he feareth  not before  God.  [14] There is  a vanity  which is done  upon the earth;  that there be just  men, unto whom it happeneth  according to the work  of the wicked;  again, there be  wicked  men, to whom it happeneth  according to the work  of the righteous:  I said  that this also  is vanity.  [15] Then I commended  mirth,  because a man  hath no better thing  under the sun,  than to eat,  and to drink,  and to be merry:  for that shall abide  with him of his labour  the days  of his life,  which God  giveth  him under the sun.  [16] When I applied  mine heart  to know  wisdom,  and to see  the business  that is done  upon the earth:  (for also there is that neither day  nor night  seeth  sleep  with his eyes:)  [17] Then I beheld  all the work  of God,  that a man  cannot  find out  the work  that is done  under the sun:  because  though  a man  labour  to seek it out,  yet he shall not find  it; yea further; though a wise  man think  to know  it, yet shall he not be able  to find