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1. No one can understand and explain things the way wise people can. Their wisdom makes them happy. It changes a sad face into a happy one.
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1. Who H4310 is as the wise H2450 man ? and who H4310 knoweth H3045 the interpretation H6592 of a thing H1697 ? a man H120 's wisdom H2451 maketh his face H6440 to shine H215 , and the boldness H5797 of his face H6440 shall be changed H8132 .
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2. I say you should always obey the king's command. Do this because you made a promise to God.
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2. I H589 counsel thee to keep H8104 the king H4428 's commandment H6310 , and that in regard H5921 H1700 of the oath H7621 of God H430 .
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3. Don't be afraid to give suggestions to the king, and don't support something that is wrong. But remember, the king gives the commands that please him.
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3. Be not H408 hasty H926 to go H1980 out of his sight H4480 H6440 : stand H5975 not H408 in an evil H7451 thing H1697 ; for H3588 he doeth H6213 whatsoever H3605 H834 pleaseth H2654 him.
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4. He has the authority to give commands, and no one can tell him what to do.
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4. Where H834 the word H1697 of a king H4428 is, there is power H7983 : and who H4310 may say H559 unto him, What H4100 doest H6213 thou?
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5. People will be safe if they obey his command. But wise people know the right time to do this, and they also know when to do the right thing.
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5. Whoso keepeth H8104 the commandment H4687 shall feel H3045 no H3808 evil H7451 thing H1697 : and a wise man H2450 's heart H3820 discerneth H3045 both time H6256 and judgment H4941 .
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6. There is a right time and a right way to do everything. You must decide what you should do, even when it might cause problems
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6. Because H3588 to every H3605 purpose H2656 there is H3426 time H6256 and judgment H4941 , therefore H3588 the misery H7451 of man H120 is great H7227 upon H5921 him.
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7. and you are not sure what will happen. No one can tell you what will happen in the future.
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7. For H3588 he knoweth H3045 not H369 that H4100 which shall be H7945 H1961 : for H3588 who H4310 can tell H5046 him when H834 it shall be H1961 ?
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8. No one has the power to keep their spirit from leaving or to stop their death. During war, no soldier has the freedom to go wherever he wants. In the same way evil does not allow anyone who does wrong to go free.
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8. There is no H369 man H120 that hath power H7989 over the spirit H7307 to retain H3607 H853 the spirit H7307 ; neither H369 hath he power H7983 in the day H3117 of death H4194 : and there is no H369 discharge H4917 in that war H4421 ; neither H3808 shall wickedness H7562 deliver H4422 H853 those that are given H1167 to it.
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9. I saw all this. I thought very hard about the things that happen in this world. I saw that people always struggle for the power to rule others, and this is bad for them.
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9. All H3605 this H2088 have I seen H7200 , and applied H5414 H853 my heart H3820 unto every H3605 work H4639 that H834 is done H6213 under H8478 the sun H8121 : there is a time H6256 wherein H834 one man H120 ruleth over H7980 another H120 to his own hurt H7451 .
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10. I also saw great and beautiful funerals for evil people. While the people were going home after the funeral services, they said good things about the evil people who had died. This happened even in the same towns where the evil people had done many bad things. This is senseless.
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10. And so H3651 I saw H7200 the wicked H7563 buried H6912 , who had come H935 and gone H1980 from the place H4480 H4725 of the holy H6918 , and they were forgotten H7911 in the city H5892 where H834 they had so H3651 done H6213 : this H2088 is also H1571 vanity H1892 .
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11. Sometimes people are not immediately punished for the bad things they do. Their punishment is slow to come, and that makes other people want to do bad things too.
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11. Because H834 sentence against H6599 an evil H7451 work H4639 is not H369 executed H6213 speedily H4120 , therefore H5921 H3651 the heart H3820 of the sons H1121 of men H120 is fully set H4390 in them to do H6213 evil H7451 .
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12. A sinner might do a hundred evil things and still live a long time. But I know that it is still better to obey and respect God.
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12. Though H834 a sinner H2398 do H6213 evil H7451 a hundred times H3967 , and his days be prolonged H748 , yet H3588 surely H1571 I H589 know H3045 that H834 it shall be H1961 well H2896 with them that fear H3373 God H430 , which H834 fear H3372 before H4480 H6440 him:
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13. Evil people don't respect God, so they will not get good things or live long lives. Their lives will not be like the shadows that become longer and longer as the sun goes down.
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13. But it shall not H3808 be H1961 well H2896 with the wicked H7563 , neither H3808 shall he prolong H748 his days H3117 , which are as a shadow H6738 ; because H834 he feareth H3372 not H369 before H4480 H6440 God H430 .
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14. There is something else that happens on earth that does not seem fair. Bad things should happen to bad people, and good things should happen to good people. But sometimes bad things happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people. This is not fair.
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14. There is H3426 a vanity H1892 which H834 is done H6213 upon H5921 the earth H776 ; that H834 there be H3426 just H6662 men , unto whom H834 H413 it happeneth H5060 according to the work H4639 of the wicked H7563 ; again , there be H3426 wicked H7563 men , to H413 whom it happeneth H7945 H5060 according to the work H4639 of the righteous H6662 : I said H559 that this also H2088 H7945 H1571 is vanity H1892 .
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15. So I decided it was more important to enjoy life because the best thing people can do in this life is to eat, drink, and enjoy life. At least that will help people enjoy the hard work God gave them to do during their life on earth.
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15. Then I H589 commended H7623 H853 mirth H8057 , because H834 a man H120 hath no H369 better H2896 thing under H8478 the sun H8121 , than H3588 H518 to eat H398 , and to drink H8354 , and to be merry H8055 : for that H1931 shall abide H3867 with him of his labor H5999 the days H3117 of his life H2416 , which H834 God H430 giveth H5414 him under H8478 the sun H8121 .
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16. I carefully studied the things people do in this life. I saw how busy people are. They work day and night, and they almost never sleep.
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16. When H834 I applied H5414 H853 mine heart H3820 to know H3045 wisdom H2451 , and to see H7200 H853 the business H6045 that H834 is done H6213 upon H5921 the earth H776 : ( for H3588 also H1571 there is that neither H369 day H3117 nor night H3915 seeth H7200 sleep H8142 with his eyes H5869 :)
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17. I also saw the many things that God does, and I saw that people cannot understand all the work that God does on earth. You might try and try to understand, but you cannot. Even if some wise man says he understands what God does, it is not true. No one can understand all this.
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17. Then I beheld H7200 H853 all H3605 the work H4639 of God H430 , that H3588 a man H120 cannot H3808 H3201 find out H4672 H853 the work H4639 that H834 is done H6213 under H8478 the sun H8121 : because H7945 though H834 a man H120 labor H5998 to seek it out H1245 , yet he shall not H3808 find H4672 it ; yea H1571 further; though H518 a wise H2450 man think H559 to know H3045 it , yet shall he not H3808 be able H3201 to find H4672 it .
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