81 Who is like the wise man and who knows the interpretation of a matter ? A man's wisdom illumines him and causes his stern face to beam . 2 I say, "Keep the command of the king because e of the oath before God . 3 "Do not be in a hurry to leave e him. Do not join in an evil matter , for he will do whatever e he pleases ." 4 Since the word of the king is authoritative , who will say to him, "What are you doing ?" 5 He who keeps a royal command experiences no trouble , for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure .
6 For there is a proper time and procedure for every delight , though a man's trouble is heavy upon him. 7 If no one knows what will happen , who can tell him when it will happen ? 8 No man has authority to restrain the wind with the wind , or authority over the day of death ; and there is no discharge in the time of war , and evil will not deliver those who practice it.
9 All this I have seen and applied my mind to every deed that has been done under the sun wherein a man has exercised authority over another man to his hurt .
10 So then, I have seen the wicked buried , those who used to go in and out from the holy place , and they are soon forgotten in the city where they did thus . This too is futility . 11 Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly , therefore e the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil . 12 Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life, still e I know that it will be well for those who fear God , who fear Him openly e . 13 But it will not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow , because he does not fear God .
14 There is futility which is done on the earth , that is, there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked . On the other hand, there are evil men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous . I say that this too is futility . 15 So I commended pleasure , for there is nothing good for a man under the sun except e to eat and to drink and to be merry , and this will stand by him in his toils throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun . 16 When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the task which has been done on the earth (even though one should never sleep e e day or night ), 17 and I saw every work of God , I concluded that man cannot e discover the work which has been done under the sun . Even though e man should seek laboriously , he will not discover ; and though the wise man should say , "I know ," he cannot e discover .
