Read the Bible

Obey Rulers

¹ Who is like the wise man and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man's wisdom ^(C1)illumines ^(F1)him and causes his ^(C2)stern face to ^(F2)beam.

² I say, "Keep the ^(F1)command of the king because of the ^(C1)oath ^(F2)before God.³ "Do not be in a hurry ^(F1)(C1)to leave him. Do not join in an evil matter, for he will do whatever he pleases."⁴ Since the word of the king is authoritative, ^(C1)who will say to him, "What are you doing?"

⁵ He who ^(C1)keeps a royal command ^(C2)experiences no ^(F1)trouble, for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure.⁶ For ^(C1)there is a proper time and procedure for every delight, though a man's trouble is heavy upon him.⁷ If no one ^(C1)knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen?^8 (C1)No man has authority to restrain the wind with the wind, or authority over the day of death; and there is no discharge in the time of war, and ^(C2)evil will not deliver ^(F1)those who practice it.⁹ All this I have seen and applied my ^(F1)mind to every deed that has been done under the sun wherein a man has exercised ^(C1)authority over another man to his hurt.

¹⁰ So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out from the holy place, and they are ^(C1)soon forgotten in the city where they did thus. This too is futility.¹¹ Because the ^(C1)sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore ^(C2)the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil.¹² Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may ^(C1)lengthen his life, still I know that it will be ^(C2)well for those who fear God, who fear ^(F1)Him openly.¹³ But it will ^(C1)not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a ^(C2)shadow, because he does not fear God.

¹⁴ There is futility which is done on the earth, that is, there are ^(C1)righteous men to whom it ^(F1)happens according to the deeds of the wicked. On the other hand, there are ^(C2)evil men to whom it ^(F1)happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I say that this too is futility.¹⁵ So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for ^(C1)a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to be merry, and this will stand by him in his ^(F1)toils throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.

¹⁶ When I ^(C1)gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the task which has been done on the earth (even though one should ^(F1)(C2)never sleep day or night),¹⁷ and I saw every work of God, I concluded that ^(C1)man cannot discover the work which has been done under the sun. Even though man should seek laboriously, he will not discover; and ^(C2)though the wise man should say, "I know," he cannot discover.