전도서 9

1내가 마음을 다하여 이 모든 일을 궁구하며 살펴본즉 의인과 지혜자나 그들의 행하는 일이나 다 하나님의 손에 있으니 사랑을 받을는지 미움을 받을는지 사람이 알지 못하는 것은 모두 그 미래임이니라 2모든 사람에게 임하는 모든 것이 일반이라 의인과 악인이며 선하고 깨끗한 자와 깨끗지 않은 자며 제사를 드리는 자와 제사를 드리지 아니하는 자의 결국이 일반이니 선인과 죄인이며 맹세하는 자와 맹세하기를 무서워하는 자가 일반이로다 3모든 사람의 결국이 일반인 그것은 해 아래서 모든 일 중에 악한 것이니 곧 인생의 마음에 악이 가득하여 평생에 미친 마음을 품다가 후에는 죽은 자에게로 돌아가는 것이라 4모든 산 자 중에 참예한 자가 소망이 있음은 산 개가 죽은 사자보다 나음이니라 5무릇 산 자는 죽을 줄을 알되 죽은 자는 아무 것도 모르며 다시는 상도 받지 못하는 것은 그 이름이 잊어버린 바 됨이라 6그 사랑함과 미워함과 시기함이 없어진 지 오래니 해 아래서 행하는 모든 일에 저희가 다시는 영영히 분복이 없느니라 7너는 가서 기쁨으로 네 식물을 먹고 즐거운 마음으로 네 포도주를 마실지어다 이는 하나님이 너의 하는 일을 벌써 기쁘게 받으셨음이니라 8네 의복을 항상 희게 하며 네 머리에 향 기름을 그치지 않게 할지니라 9네 헛된 평생의 모든 날 곧 하나님이 해 아래서 네게 주신 모든 헛된 날에 사랑하는 아내와 함께 즐겁게 살지어다 이는 네가 일평생에 해 아래서 수고하고 얻은 분복이니라 10무릇 네 손이 일을 당하는 대로 힘을 다하여 할지어다 네가 장차 들어갈 음부에는 일도 없고 계획도 없고 지식도 없고 지혜도 없음이니라 11내가 돌이켜 해 아래서 보니 빠른 경주자라고 선착하는 것이 아니며 유력자라고 전쟁에 승리하는 것이 아니며 지혜자라고 식물을 얻는 것이 아니며 명철자라고 재물을 얻는 것이 아니며 기능자라고 은총을 입는 것이 아니니 이는 시기와 우연이 이 모든 자에게 임함이라 12대저 사람은 자기의 시기를 알지 못하나니 물고기가 재앙의 그물에 걸리고 새가 올무에 걸림 같이 인생도 재앙의 날이 홀연히 임하면 거기 걸리느니라 13내가 또 해 아래서 지혜를 보고 크게 여긴 것이 이러하니 14곧 어떤 작고 인구가 많지 않은 성읍에 큰 임금이 와서 에워싸고 큰 흉벽을 쌓고 치고자 할 때에 15그 성읍 가운데 가난한 지혜자가 있어서 그 지혜로 그 성읍을 건진 것이라 그러나 이 가난한 자를 기억하는 사람이 없었도다 16그러므로 내가 이르기를 지혜가 힘보다 낫다마는 가난한 자의 지혜가 멸시를 받고 그 말이 신청되지 아니한다 하였노라 17종용히 들리는 지혜자의 말이 우매자의 어른의 호령보다 나으니라 18지혜가 병기보다 나으니라 그러나 한 죄인이 많은 선을 패궤케 하느니라

1For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn’t know it; all is before them. 2All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn’t sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath, as he who fears an oath. 3This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead. 4For to him who is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten. 6Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun. 7Go your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works. 8Let your garments be always white, and don’t let your head lack oil. 9Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity: for that is your portion in life, and in your labor in which you labor under the sun. 10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going. 11I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all. 12For man also doesn’t know his time. As the fish that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them. 13I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to me. 14There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it. 15Now a poor wise man was found in it, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. 16Then I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. 17The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules among fools. 18Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.

1Zekerlijk, dit alles heb ik in mijn hart gelegd, opdat ik dit alles klaarlijk mocht verstaan, dat de rechtvaardigen, en de wijzen, en hun werken in de hand Gods zijn; ook liefde, ook haat, weet de mens niet uit al hetgeen voor zijn aangezicht is. 2Alle ding wedervaart hun, gelijk aan alle anderen; enerlei wedervaart den rechtvaardige en den goddeloze, den goede en den reine, als den onreine; zo dien, die offert, als dien, die niet offert; gelijk den goede, alzo ook den zondaar, dien, die zweert, gelijk dien, die den eed vreest. 3Dit is een kwaad onder alles, wat onder de zon geschiedt, dat enerlei ding allen wedervaart, en dat ook het hart der mensenkinderen vol boosheid is, en dat er in hun leven onzinnigheden zijn in hun hart; en daarna moeten zij naar de doden toe. 4Want voor dengene, die vergezelschapt is bij alle levenden, is er hoop; want een levende hond is beter dan een dode leeuw. 5Want de levenden weten, dat zij sterven zullen, maar de doden weten niet met al; zij hebben ook geen loon meer, maar hun gedachtenis is vergeten. 6Ook is alrede hun liefde, ook hun haat, ook hun nijdigheid vergaan; en zij hebben geen deel meer in deze eeuw in alles, wat onder de zon geschiedt. 7Ga dan heen, eet uw brood met vreugde, en drink uw wijn van goeder harte; want God heeft alrede een behagen aan uw werken. 8Laat uw klederen te allen tijd wit zijn, en laat op uw hoofd geen olie ontbreken. 9Geniet het leven met de vrouw, die gij liefhebt, al de dagen uws ijdelen levens, welke God u gegeven heeft onder de zon, al uw ijdele dagen; want dit is uw deel in dit leven, en van uw arbeid, dien gij arbeidt onder de zon. 10Alles, wat uw hand vindt om te doen, doe dat met uw macht; want er is geen werk, noch verzinning, noch wetenschap, noch wijsheid in het graf, daar gij heengaat. 11Ik keerde mij, en zag onder de zon, dat de loop niet is der snellen, noch de strijd der helden, noch ook de spijs der wijzen, noch ook de rijkdom der verstandigen, noch ook de gunst der welwetenden, maar dat tijd en toeval aan alle dezen wedervaart; 12Dat ook de mens zijn tijd niet weet, gelijk de vissen, die gevangen worden met het boze net; en gelijk de vogelen, die gevangen worden met den strik; gelijk die, alzo worden de kinderen der mensen verstrikt, ter bozer tijd, wanneer derzelve haastelijk over hen valt. 13Ook heb ik onder de zon deze wijsheid gezien, en zij was groot bij mij: 14Er was een kleine stad, en weinig lieden waren daarin; en een groot koning kwam tegen haar, en hij omsingelde ze, en hij bouwde grote vastigheden tegen haar. 15En men vond daar een armen wijzen man in, die de stad verloste door zijn wijsheid; maar geen mens gedacht denzelven armen man. 16Toen zeide ik: Wijsheid is beter dan kracht, hoewel de wijsheid des armen veracht, en zijn woorden niet waren gehoord geweest. 17De woorden der wijzen moeten in stilheid aangehoord worden, meer dan het geroep desgenen, die over de zotten heerst. 18De wijsheid is beter dan de krijgswapenen, maar een enig zondaar verderft veel goeds.