1Who is like the wise person? And who understands the meaning of things? A person's wisdom brightens their face, and their stern expression softens.
2I advise you to obey the king's command, because you swore an oath to God.
3Don't be quick to leave his presence. Don't support an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases.
4Because the king’s word is final. Who can question what he does?
5Whoever obeys the command will not suffer harm, and a wise person will know the right time and way to act.
6For there is a right time and way for every purpose, even though people suffer greatly.
7People don't know what will happen, and who can tell them how it will be?
8No one has power to control their spirit or to decide the day of their death. There is no escape in war, and wickedness will not save those who practice it.
9I have seen all this and carefully observed every action done under the sun. There are times when people have power over others to their own harm.
10Then I saw wicked people buried, who had also come from a holy place. They went and were forgotten in the city where they had done these things. This too is meaningless.
11Because judgment against a bad deed is not carried out quickly, people are bold in their hearts to do evil.
12Even if a sinner commits a hundred crimes and lives a long time, I am sure that things will go better for those who fear God, who respect him.
13But it will not go well for the wicked, nor will they live long, like a fleeting shadow, because they do not fear God.
14There is an absurd thing that happens on earth: sometimes good people experience the same bad things that happen to the wicked. On the flip side, sometimes wicked people experience the good things that happen to the righteous. I concluded that this, too, is pointless.
15So I praised enjoyment, because there’s nothing better for a person to do under the sun than to eat, drink, and be cheerful. This brings them joy in their work throughout the limited life God has given them on earth.
16When I dedicated myself to understanding wisdom and observing what goes on in the world (even though it means never sleeping day or night),
17then I saw all of God’s work, and how people cannot fully understand what happens under the sun. No matter how hard someone tries to figure it out, they still won’t. Even if a wise person thinks they can grasp it, they won't be able to.