Ecclesiastes 8:3
1 Who is like the wise man? Who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed.
2 Keep the king’s command, I say, because of your oath before God.
Do not hasten to leave his presence, and do not persist in a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases.
4 For the king’s word is supreme, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
5 Whoever keeps his command will come to no harm, and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure.
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Do not hasten to leave his presence, and do not persist in a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases.
- KJV
- Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
- WEB
- Don’t be hasty to go out of his presence. Don’t persist in an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him,
- ASV
- Be not hasty to go out of his presence; persist not in an evil thing: for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
- DARBY
- Be not hasty to go out of his sight; persist not in an evil thing: for he doeth whatever pleaseth him,
- BLB
- Do not hurry [to] depart from his face; do not stand in an evil matter, for all that he delights in, he will do.
- ÅB
- Vær ikke for snar til å forlate ham, og vær ikke med på noe som er ondt! For han gjør alt det han vil.
- OTB
- Ikke vær rask til å forlate hans nærvær. Ikke støtt en ond sak, for han vil handle som han ønsker.
- B1930
- Vær ikke for snar til å forlate ham, og vær ikke med på noget som er ondt! For han gjør alt det han vil.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Ecclesiastes 10:4
If the ruler’s temper flares against you, do not abandon your post, for calmness lays great offenses to rest.
Read in contextDaniel 4:35
All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’”
Read in contextActs 5:8–9
“Tell me,” said Peter, “is this the price you and your husband got for the land?” “Yes,” she answered, “that is the price.”
Read in contextDaniel 5:19
Because of the greatness that He bestowed on him, the people of every nation and language trembled in fear before him. He killed whom he wished and kept alive whom he wished; he exalted whom he wished and humbled whom he wished.
Read in contextProverbs 14:29
A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man promotes folly.
Read in contextIsaiah 48:4
For I knew that you are stubborn; your neck is iron and your forehead is bronze.
Read in context1 Kings 1:50–52
But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, got up and went to take hold of the horns of the altar.
Read in contextProverbs 30:31
a strutting rooster; a he-goat; and a king with his army around him.
Read in context