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Chapter 9
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1
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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
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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
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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
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For to him that is joined to all the living there is
hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. |
5
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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
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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. |
7
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Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine
with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. |
8
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Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head
lack no ointment. |
9
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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
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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. |
11
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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
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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. |
13
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This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it
seemed great unto me: |
14
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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
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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
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Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless
the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are
not heard. |
17
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The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than
the cry of him that ruleth among fools. |
18
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Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner
destroyeth much good. |
