The Same Fate Comes to Everyone
Study note
The Teacher says that the righteous and the wise are in God's hands, but no one can tell what the future holds. The same end comes to everyone: the good and the bad, the religious and the nonreligious. This seems unfair, and it encourages evil in some people's hearts. But as long as there is life, there is hope, because a living dog is better off than a dead lion.
1 After thinking through all of this carefully, I came to a conclusion. The righteous, the wise, and everything they do are in God's hands. No one knows ahead of time whether love or trouble will come their way. For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.
2 Everyone faces the same end. It does not matter if you are righteous or wicked, good or bad, religiously observant or not. The person who sacrifices and the person who does not end up in the same place. 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.
3 This is the most troubling thing about life on earth: the same ending comes for everyone. That reality fills people's hearts with evil and foolishness while they are alive, and then it is over. This is an evil among all things that are 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.
4 But as long as you are breathing, there is still hope. Being a living dog beats being a dead lion any day. For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5 The living at least know that death is coming for them, but the dead do not know anything at all. There is no more reward for them, and eventually people stop thinking about them entirely. For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
6 All their passion, all their hatred, all their jealousy are gone. They have permanently lost their place in everything that happens under the sun. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
Enjoy Life While You Can
Study note
The Teacher gives some of his strongest advice to enjoy life fully. He tells people to eat with joy, drink with a happy heart, wear nice clothes, and enjoy time with the ones they love. Whatever work your hands find to do, do it with all your strength, because there is no work or planning in the grave.
7 So go ahead, eat your meals and enjoy them. Drink your wine with a happy heart. God has already given his approval. Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
8 Wear your best clothes and look your best at all times. Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
9 Treasure every day with the person you love throughout this short life God has given you. That is the reward you get for all your work in this world. Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
10 Give your all to whatever you do. Once you reach the grave, there is no more work. There is no more planning. There is no more learning or wisdom. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
Time and Chance Happen to Everyone
Study note
The Teacher makes a key observation: the race does not always go to the fastest runner, and the battle does not always go to the strongest fighter. Success is not guaranteed by skill, wisdom, or cleverness. Time and unexpected events happen to everyone, and no one knows when their moment of trouble will come.
11 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 favour to men of skill; but time and chance happens to them all. 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 favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
12 Nobody sees their final moment coming. Like fish scooped up in a net or birds snapped in a trap, people are blindsided by hard times that strike without warning. 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; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
Wisdom Is Better Than Strength
Study note
The Teacher tells a story about a small city saved by a poor wise man during a siege. Yet afterward, no one remembered that poor man. This shows that wisdom is more powerful than strength or weapons, but the world often ignores wisdom when it comes from someone without wealth or status. One foolish person can destroy much good.
13 I also witnessed something in this world that was a powerful example of wisdom at work. This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:
14 A small town had just a handful of people living in it. A mighty king marched up, surrounded it, and built massive siege works against it. 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:
15 In that town lived a poor man who happened to be very wise, and his wisdom saved everyone in the city. But once the crisis was over, nobody gave that poor man a second thought. 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.
16 This led me to say, "Wisdom beats brute strength." But the poor man's wisdom was ignored, and nobody bothered to listen to a word he said. Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
17 Calm, wise words spoken quietly carry more weight than the loud orders of a ruler who is surrounded by fools. The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
18 Wisdom does more than the best weapons. But one foolish person can ruin a great amount of good. Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.