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 .
Paklausi ķēniņam
1 Kurš gan ir kā gudrais,
kas izprot lietu dabu?
Gudrība dara cilvēka vaigu laipnu,
bet nīgru vaigu tā atmaidzina.
2 Es saku: klausi, ko ķēniņš pavēl, jo tu esi zvērējis pie Dieva. 3 Nebēdz no viņa vaiga un nepastāvi uz savu, ja lieta nav droša, jo viņš dara visu, ko vēlas.
4 Kad ķēniņa vārdam ir vara,
kurš var tam pateikt: ko tu dari?
5 Tam, kas klausa pavēlēm, nenotiks nekas ļauns,
un gudrā prāts zinās īsto laiku un paņēmienu.
6 Katrai lietai ir savs laiks un savs paņēmiens,
kaut posts smagi gulstas pār cilvēku.
7 Jo viņš nezina, kas notiks,
nedz kā tas notiks, – kas viņam to stāstīs?
8 Nav tāda cilvēka, kuram būtu vara pār garu – paturēt to,
un nevienam nav varas pār nāves dienu,
un karā nav atelpas,
un ļaunums neglābj tos, kas to dara.
9 To visu es ieraudzīju, kad apsvēru prātā visu, kas notiek zem saules – laikā, kad cilvēks pavēl pār cilvēku pašam par ļaunu!
Dieva ceļi ir neizdibināmi
10 Tad es redzēju guldām ļaundarus kapā – un nāca uz svēto vietu un gāja prom! – un viņus aizmirsa pilsētā, kur viņi bija tā darījuši. Arī tā ir tukšība!
11 Tā kā spriedums par ļaunu darbu netiek izpildīts ātri, tad cilvēkbērnu sirdis tiecas darīt ļaunu. 12 Kaut grēcinieks dara ļaunu simts reižu un viņam vēl tiek dots laiks, tomēr es zinu, ka labi būs tiem, kas bīstas Dieva, jo tie bīstas viņa vaiga. 13 Bet ļaundarim nebūs labi, neilgs viņa dienas, viņš kā ēna, jo nebīstas Dieva vaiga.
14 Tukšība ir tas, kas tiek darīts virs zemes – ka ir taisnie, kuriem notiek pēc ļaundaru darītā, un ļaundari, kuriem notiek pēc taisno darītā. Es saku, ka arī tā ir tukšība! 15 Un es sveicu prieku, jo cilvēkam nav nekā laba zem saules kā vien ēst, dzert un priecāties. Tas viņu pavada viņa pūliņos, cik vien dzīves dienu Dievs viņam devis zem saules.
16 Kad es ar prātu nodevos izzināt gudrību un izlūkot amatu, ko tas veic virs zemes dienu un nakti, ka ne miega tam acī, 17 es ieraudzīju, ka visu, ko Dievs dara, cilvēkam neatklāt – visu, kas notiek zem saules. Lai kā cilvēks pūlētos meklēt, viņš to neatklās – kaut gudrais teiktu, ka to zina, viņam to neatklāt!
