International Children’s Bible

Ecclesiastes 9:9-18 International Children’s Bible (ICB)

9. Enjoy life with the wife you love. Enjoy all the days of this short life God has given you here on earth. It is all you have. So enjoy the work you have to do here on earth.

10. Whatever work you do, do your best. This is because you are going to the grave. There is no working, no planning, no knowledge and no wisdom there.

11. I also realized something else here on earth that is senseless:The fast runner does not always win the race.The strong army does not always win the battle.The wise man does not always have food.The smart man does not always become wealthy.And the man with special skills does not always receive praise.Bad things happen to everyone.

12. A person never knows what will happen to him next.He is like a fish caught in a cruel net.He is like a bird caught in a trap.In the same way, a person is trapped by bad thingsthat suddenly happen to him.

13. I also saw something wise happen here on earth. And it was very impressive to me.

14. There was a small town with only a few people in it. A great king fought against it and put his armies all around it.

15. Now there was a wise man in the town. He was poor, but he used his wisdom to save his town. But later on, everyone forgot about him.

16. I still think wisdom is better than strength. But those people forgot about the poor man’s wisdom. And they stopped listening to what he said.

17. The quiet words of a wise man are betterthan the shouts of a foolish ruler.

18. Wisdom is better than weapons of war.But one sinner can destroy much good.