Ecclesiastes 8:4

Obey Authorities for God’s Sake

2 I say, “Keep the king’s commandment ^afor the sake of your oath to God.

3 ^aDo not be hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand for an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him.”

4 Where the word of a king is, there is power;
And ^awho may say to him, “What are you doing?”

5 He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful;
And a wise man’s heart¹ discerns both time and judgment,

6 Because ^afor every matter there is a time and judgment,
Though the misery of man¹ increases greatly.

7 ^aFor he does not know what will happen;
So who can tell him when it will occur?

8 ^aNo one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit,
And no one has power in the day of death.
There is ^bno release from that war,
And wickedness will not deliver those who are given to it.

9 All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun: There is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt.

Death Comes to All

10 Then I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of holiness, and they were ^aforgotten in the city where they had so done. This also is vanity.

11 ^aBecause the 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.

Verse Comparison: Ecclesiastes 8:4

<< Ecclesiastes 8:3

Ecclesiastes 8:5 >>

American Standard Version
For the king's word `hath' power; and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

Amplified® Bible
For the word of a king is authority {and} power, and who can say to him, What are you doing?

Contemporary English Version
The king's word is law. No one can ask him, "Why are you doing this?"

Darby English Version
because the word of a king is power; and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

Good News Bible
The king acts with authority, and no one can challenge what he does.

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

New American Standard Bible
Since the word of the king is authoritative, who will say to him, "What are you doing?"

New International Version
Since a king's word is supreme, who can say to him, "What are you doing?"

New King James Version
Where the word of a king is, there is power;
And who may say to him, "What are you doing?"

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
Since the word of the king has authority, who will say to him, "What do you do?"

Revised Standard Version
For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, "What are you doing?"

Young's Literal Translation
Where the word of a king `is' power `is', and who saith to him, `What dost thou?'

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Obey Authorities for God’s Sake

Death Comes to All

A Verse and a Thought,Every Morning

A Verse and a Thought,
Every Morning