Eclesiastés 8
Louis Segond 1910
1Qui est comme le sage, et qui connaît l’explication des choses? La sagesse d’un homme fait briller son visage, et la sévérité de sa face est changée.
2Je te dis: Observe les ordres du roi, et cela à cause du serment fait à Dieu.
3Ne te hâte pas de t’éloigner de lui, et ne persiste pas dans une chose mauvaise: car il peut faire tout ce qui lui plaît,
4parce que la parole du roi est puissante; et qui lui dira: Que fais-tu?
5Celui qui observe le commandement ne connaît point de chose mauvaise, et le cœur du sage connaît le temps et le jugement.
6Car il y a pour toute chose un temps et un jugement, quand le malheur accable l’homme.
7Mais il ne sait point ce qui arrivera, et qui lui dira comment cela arrivera?
8L’homme n’est pas maître de son souffle pour pouvoir le retenir, et il n’a aucune puissance sur le jour de la mort; il n’y a point de délivrance dans ce combat, et la méchanceté ne saurait sauver les méchants.
9J’ai vu tout cela, et j’ai appliqué mon cœur à tout ce qui se fait sous le soleil. Il y a un temps où l’homme domine sur l’homme pour le rendre malheureux.
10Alors j’ai vu des méchants recevoir la sépulture et entrer dans leur repos, et ceux qui avaient agi avec droiture s’en aller loin du lieu saint et être oubliés dans la ville. C’est encore là une vanité.
11Parce qu’une sentence contre les mauvaises actions ne s’exécute pas promptement, le cœur des fils de l’homme se remplit en eux du désir de faire le mal.
12Cependant, quoique le pécheur fasse cent fois le mal et qu’il y persévère longtemps, je sais aussi que le bonheur est pour ceux qui craignent Dieu, parce qu’ils ont de la crainte devant lui.
13Mais le bonheur n’est pas pour le méchant, et il ne prolongera point ses jours, pas plus que l’ombre, parce qu’il n’a pas de la crainte devant Dieu.
14Il est une vanité qui a lieu sur la terre: c’est qu’il y a des justes auxquels il arrive selon l’œuvre des méchants, et des méchants auxquels il arrive selon l’œuvre des justes. Je dis que c’est encore là une vanité.
15J’ai donc loué la joie, parce qu’il n’y a de bonheur pour l’homme sous le soleil qu’à manger et à boire et à se réjouir; c’est là ce qui doit l’accompagner au milieu de son travail, pendant les jours de vie que Dieu lui donne sous le soleil.
16Lorsque j’ai appliqué mon cœur à connaître la sagesse et à considérer les choses qui se passent sur la terre, car les yeux de l’homme ne goûtent le sommeil ni jour ni nuit,
17j’ai vu toute l’œuvre de Dieu, j’ai vu que l’homme ne peut pas trouver ce qui se fait sous le soleil; il a beau se fatiguer à chercher, il ne trouve pas; et même si le sage veut connaître, il ne peut pas trouver.
Reina-Valera 1909
1¿QUIÉN como el sabio? ¿y quién como el que sabe la declaración de las cosas? La sabiduría del hombre hará relucir su rostro, y mudaráse la tosquedad de su semblante.
2Yo te aviso que guardes el mandamiento del rey y la palabra del juramento de Dios.
3No te apresures á irte de delante de él, ni en cosa mala persistas; porque él hará todo lo que quisiere:
4Pues la palabra del rey es con potestad, ¿y quién le dirá, Qué haces?
5El que guarda el mandamiento no experimentará mal; y el tiempo y el juicio conoce el corazón del sabio.
6Porque para todo lo que quisieres hay tiempo y juicio; mas el trabajo del hombre es grande sobre él;
7Porque no sabe lo que ha de ser; y el cuándo haya de ser, ¿quién se lo enseñará?
8No hay hombre que tenga potestad sobre el espíritu para retener el espíritu, ni potestad sobre el día de la muerte: y no valen armas en tal guerra; ni la impiedad librará al que la posee.
9Todo esto he visto, y puesto he mi corazón en todo lo que debajo del sol se hace: hay tiempo en que el hombre se enseñorea del hombre para mal suyo.
10Esto vi también: que los impíos sepultados vinieron aún en memoria; mas los que partieron del lugar santo, fueron luego puestos en olvido en la ciudad donde con rectitud habían obrado. Esto también es vanidad.
11Porque no se ejecuta luego sentencia sobre la mala obra, el corazón de los hijos de los hombres está en ellos lleno para hacer mal.
12Bien que el pecador haga mal cien veces, y le sea dilatado el castigo, con todo yo también sé que los que á Dios temen tendrán bien, los que temieren ante su presencia;
13Y que el impío no tendrá bien, ni le serán prolongados los días, que son como sombra; por cuanto no temió delante de la presencia de Dios.
14Hay vanidad que se hace sobre la tierra: que hay justos á quienes sucede como si hicieran obras de impíos; y hay impíos á quienes acaece como si hicieran obras de justos. Digo que esto también es vanidad.
15Por tanto alabé yo la alegría; que no tiene el hombre bien debajo del sol, sino que coma y beba, y se alegre; y que esto se le quede de su trabajo los días de su vida que Dios le dió debajo del sol.
16Yo pues dí mi corazón á conocer sabiduría, y á ver la faena que se hace sobre la tierra; (porque hay quien ni de noche ni de día ve sueño en su ojos;)
17Y he visto todas las obras de Dios, que el hombre no puede alcanzar la obra que debajo del sol se hace; por mucho que trabaje el hombre buscándola, no la hallará: aunque diga el sabio que la sabe, no por eso podrá alcanzarla.
King James Version
1Who 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.
2I counsel thee to keep the king’s commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.
3Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
4Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
5Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment.
6Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.
7For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?
8There 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.
9All 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.
10And 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.
11Because 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.
12Though 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:
13But 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.
14There 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.
15Then 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.
16When 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:)
17Then 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.
World English Bible
1Who is like the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.
2I say, “Keep the king’s command!” because of the oath to God.
3Don’t be hasty to go out of his presence. Don’t persist in an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him,
4for the king’s word is supreme. Who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
5Whoever keeps the commandment shall not come to harm, and his wise heart will know the time and procedure.
6For there is a time and procedure for every purpose, although the misery of man is heavy on him.
7For he doesn’t know that which will be; for who can tell him how it will be?
8There is no man who has power over the spirit to contain the spirit; neither does he have power over the day of death. There is no discharge in war; neither shall wickedness deliver those who practice it.
9All this I have seen, and applied my mind to every work that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one man has power over another to his hurt.
10So I saw the wicked buried. Indeed they came also from holiness. They went and were forgotten in the city where they did this. This also is vanity.
11Because 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.
12Though a sinner commits crimes a hundred times, and lives long, yet surely I know that it will be better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him.
13But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he lengthen days like a shadow, because he doesn’t fear God.
14There is a vanity which is done on the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked. Again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.
15Then I commended mirth, because a man has no better thing under the sun than to eat, to drink, and to be joyful: for that will accompany him in his labor all the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.
16When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on the earth (even though eyes see no sleep day or night),
17then I saw all the work of God, that man can’t find out the work that is done under the sun, because however much a man labors to seek it out, yet he won’t find it. Yes even though a wise man thinks he can comprehend it, he won’t be able to find it.