The Skeptics Annotated Bible (518 page)

21 Also
take no heed unto all words that are spoken
; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:

(7.21)
“Take no heed unto all words that are spoken.”
Don’t pay attention to everything people say.

22 For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

23 All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

24
That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?

(7.24)
“That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?”
Who can find out? We can by using science! The earth, ocean, solar system, galaxy, and universe—nothing is too deep or far away for science to discover and explore.

25
I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of thing
s, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:

(7.25)
“I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things.”

26 And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

27 Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:

28 Which yet my soul seeketh, but
I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

(7.28) “I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.” The Preacher could find a few good men (maybe one in a thousand or so), but not a single good woman.

29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

8
Who 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.

2 I counsel thee to keep the king’s commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.

3 Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.

4 Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

5 Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment.

6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.

7 For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?

8 There 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.

9 All 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.

10 And 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.

11 Because 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.

12 Though 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:

13 But
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.

(8.13)
“It shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days.”
292 Do wicked people grow old and prosper?

14 There 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.

(8.14)
“There be just men.”
33 Has there ever been a just person?

15 Then 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.

(8.15)
“A man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry.”
314 Is it good to be happy?

16 When 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:)

17
Then 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.

(8.17) “Then 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 farther; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.” Oh, I think science has done a pretty good job of finding things out over the last four centuries or so.