1. Who is as the wise
man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom
maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be
changed.
2. I counsel thee to keep
the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.
3. Be not hasty to go out
of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever
pleaseth him.
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 upon him.
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 to it.
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 with them that fear 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 it.
Sept. 21
Daily reading schedule.. go to chapter 9