Ecclesiastes 第8章
Keep the King’s Command
1Who is like the wise?
And who knows the interpretation of a thing?
and 8:1 Prov. 21:29; [Deut. 28:50]the hardness of his face is changed.
2I say:8:2 Hebrew lacks say Keep the king’s command, because of 8:2 Ex. 22:11; 2 Sam. 21:7; 1 Kgs. 2:43; [2 Chr. 36:13; Ezek. 17:18]God’s oath to him.8:2 Or because of your oath to God
3Be not hasty to 8:3 [ch. 10:4]go from his presence. Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases.
4For the word of the king is supreme, and 8:4 Dan. 4:35; See Job 9:12who may say to him, “What are you doing?”
5Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way.8:5 Or and judgment
6For there is a time and a way 8:6 ch. 3:1, 17for everything, although man’s trouble8:6 Or evil lies heavy on him.
7For he 8:7 [Prov. 24:22] does not know what is to be, for 8:7 ch. 3:22; 6:12; 9:12; 10:14who can tell him how it will be?
8No man has power to 8:8 [Job 14:5] retain the spirit, 8:8 [ch. 3:19; 9:11] or power over the day of death. There is no 8:8 See Deut. 20:5-8discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it.
Those Who Fear God Will Do Well
10Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of 8:10 [Neh. 11:1; Matt. 24:15] the holy place and were 8:10 [ch. 9:5; Prov. 10:7]praised8:10 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts forgotten in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity.8:10 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also twice in verse 14 (see note on 1:2)
11Because 8:11 [Ps. 10:6; 50:21; Isa. 26:10; Rom. 2:4, 5; 2 Pet. 3:9] the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, 8:11 [Esth. 7:5; Acts 5:3]the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.
12Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and 8:12 ch. 7:15; Isa. 65:20prolongs his life, yet I know that 8:12 [Deut. 12:25; Isa. 3:10] it will be well with 8:12 [Ps. 37:11, 18, 19; Prov. 1:33; Matt. 25:34]those who fear God, because they fear before him.
Man Cannot Know God’s Ways
14There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people 8:14 ch. 7:15; [Ps. 73:3]; See ch. 2:14to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people 8:14 [Job 21:7; Ps. 17:9, 10; 73:12; Jer. 12:1]to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.
15And I commend joy, for man 8:15 See ch. 2:24has nothing better under the sun but to 8:15 1 Kgs. 4:20eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.
16When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see 8:16 ch. 1:13; 3:10the business that is done on earth, how neither 8:16 [Ps. 127:2]day nor night do one’s eyes see sleep,
17then I saw all the work of God, that 8:17 [Prov. 25:2]; See ch. 3:11man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, 8:17 [Ps. 73:16]he cannot find it out.
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