Ecclesiastes 9:6-15

⁶Their love and their hate and their envy are now ended; and they have no longer a part for ever in anything which is done under the sun.

⁷Come, take your bread with joy, and your wine with a glad heart. God has taken pleasure in your works.

⁸Let your clothing be white at all times, and let not your head be without oil.

⁹Have joy with the woman of your love all the days of your foolish life which he gives you under the sun. Because that is your part in life and in your work which you do under the sun.

¹⁰Whatever comes to your hand to do with all your power, do it because there is no work, or thought, or knowledge, or wisdom in the place of the dead to which you are going.

¹¹And again I saw under the sun that the reward goes not to him who is quick, or the fruits of war to the strong; and there is no bread for the wise, or wealth for men of learning, or respect for those who have knowledge; but time and chance come to all.

¹²Even man has no knowledge of his time; like fishes taken in an evil net, or like birds taken by deceit, are the sons of men taken in an evil time when it comes suddenly on them.

¹³This again I have seen under the sun as wisdom and it seemed great to me.

¹⁴There was a little town and the number of its men was small, and there came a great king against it and made an attack on it, building works of war round about it.

¹⁵Now there was in the town a poor, wise man, and he, by his wisdom, kept the town safe. But no one had any memory of that same poor man.