Ecclesiastes 8:5
3 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?”
Whoever keeps his command will come to no harm, and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure.
6 For there is a right time and procedure to every purpose, though a man’s misery weighs heavily upon him.
7 Since no one knows what will happen, who can tell him what is to come?
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Whoever keeps his command will come to no harm, and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure.
- KJV
- Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment.
- WEB
- Whoever keeps the commandment shall not come to harm, and his wise heart will know the time and procedure.
- ASV
- Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man`s heart discerneth time and judgment:
- DARBY
- Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart knoweth time and manner.
- BLB
- The one guarding a command will not know an evil thing, and the heart of a wise one knows a time and a judgment.
- ÅB
- Den som holder budet, skal ikke lide noe ondt, og den vises hjerte skal få kjenne tid og dom.
- OTB
- Den som adlyder hans befaling vil ikke møte noen skade, og et klokt hjerte kjenner den rette tiden og fremgangsmåten.
- B1930
- Den som holder budet, skal ikke lide noget ondt, og den vises hjerte skal få kjenne tid og dom.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Hebrews 5:14
But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.
Read in context1 Peter 3:13–14
Who can harm you if you are zealous for what is good?
Read in contextPhilippians 1:9–10
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
Read in contextActs 4:19
But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God.
Read in contextLuke 20:25
So Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
Read in contextRomans 13:5–7
Therefore it is necessary to submit to authority, not only to avoid punishment, but also as a matter of conscience.
Read in context1 Chronicles 12:32
From Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do: 200 chiefs with all their kinsmen at their command.
Read in contextActs 5:29
But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men.
Read in context