rd

Ecclesiastes 8

2 To obey Princes and Magistrates. 17 The works of God pass man’s knowledge.
1.Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? the wisdom of a man doeth make his aface to shine: and the bstrength of his face shalbe changed.
2.I advertise thee to take heed to the cmouth of the King, and to the word of the oath of God.
3.dHaste not to go forth of his sight: stand not in an evil thing: for he will do whatsoever pleaseth him.
4.Where the word of the King is, there is power, and who shal say unto him, What doest thou?
5.He that kepeth the commandment, shal know none evil thing, and the heart of the wise shal know the etime and judgement.
6.For to every purpose there is a time and judgement because the fmisery of man is great, upon him.
7.For he knoweth not that which shalbe: for who can tel him when it shalbe?
8.Man is not lord gover the spirit to retain the spirit: neither hath he power in the day of death, nor deliverance in the battle, neither shal wickedness deliver the possessors thereof.
9.All this have I seen, and have given mine heart to every work, which is wrought under the sun, and I saw a time that man ruleth over man to his own hhurt.
10.And likewise I saw the wicked buried, and ithey returned, and they that came from the holie kplace, were yet forgotten in the city where they had done right: this also is vanity.
11.Because sentence against an evil work is not lexecuted speedily, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to do evil.
12.Though a sinner do evil an hundreth times, and God prolongeth his days, yet I know that it shalbe well with them that fear the Lord, and do reverence before him.
13.But it shal not be well to the wicked, neither shal he prolong his days: he shalbe like a shadow, because he feareth not before God.
14.There is a vanity, which is done upon the earth, that there be righteous men to whom it cometh according to the mwork of the wicked: and there be wicked men to whom it cometh according to the work of the just: I thought also that this is vanity.
15.And I praised joy: for there is no goodness to man under the sun, save nto eat & to drink & to rejoice: for this is adjoined to his labour, the days of his life that God hath given him under the sun.
16.When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to behold the business that is done on earth, that neither day nor night the eyes of man take sleep,
17.Then I beheld the whole work of God, that man can not find out the work that is wrought under the sun, for the which man laboureth to seek it, and can not find it: yea, and though the wise man think to know it, he can not find it.

Notes

1-a.
That is, does get him favour and prosperity.
1-b.
Whereas before he was proud and arrogant, he shall become humble and meek.
2-c.
That is, that you obey the King, and keep the oath that you have made for the same cause.
3-d.
Withdraw not yourself lightly from the obedience of your prince.
5-e.
That is, when time is to obey, and how far he should obey.
6-f.
Man of himself is miserable, and therefore ought to do nothing to increase the same, but to work all things by wisdom, and counsel.
8-g.
Man has no power to save his own life, and therefore must not rashly cast himself into danger.
9-h.
As comes oft times to tyrants, and wicked rulers.
10-i.
That is, others as wicked as they.
10-k.
They that feared God, and worshipped him according as he had appointed.
11-l.
Where justice is delayed, there sin reigns.
14-m.
Which are punished as though they were wicked, as Ch. 7.16.
15-n.
Read Ch. 3.22.