Ecclesiastes 7
7
Wisdom
1A good name is better than fine perfume,
and the day of death better than the day of birth.
2It is better to go to a house of mourning
than to go to a house of feasting,
for death is the destiny of everyone;
the living should take this to heart.
3Frustration is better than laughter,
because a sad face is good for the heart.
4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
5It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person
than to listen to the song of fools.
6Like the crackling of thorns under the pot,
so is the laughter of fools.
This too is meaningless.
7Extortion turns a wise person into a fool,
and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8The end of a matter is better than its beginning,
and patience is better than pride.
9Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit,
for anger resides in the lap of fools.
10Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?”
For it is not wise to ask such questions.
11Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing
and benefits those who see the sun.
12Wisdom is a shelter
as money is a shelter,
but the advantage of knowledge is this:
Wisdom preserves those who have it.
13Consider what God has done:
Who can straighten
what he has made crooked?
14When times are good, be happy;
but when times are bad, consider this:
God has made the one
as well as the other.
Therefore, no one can discover
anything about their future.
15In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these:
the righteous perishing in their righteousness,
and the wicked living long in their wickedness.
16Do not be overrighteous,
neither be overwise—
why destroy yourself?
17Do not be overwicked,
and do not be a fool—
why die before your time?
18It is good to grasp the one
and not let go of the other.
Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.#7:18 Or will follow them both
19Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful
than ten rulers in a city.
20Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous,
no one who does what is right and never sins.
21Do not pay attention to every word people say,
or you may hear your servant cursing you—
22for you know in your heart
that many times you yourself have cursed others.
23All this I tested by wisdom and I said,
“I am determined to be wise”—
but this was beyond me.
24Whatever exists is far off and most profound—
who can discover it?
25So I turned my mind to understand,
to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things
and to understand the stupidity of wickedness
and the madness of folly.
26I find more bitter than death
the woman who is a snare,
whose heart is a trap
and whose hands are chains.
The man who pleases God will escape her,
but the sinner she will ensnare.
27“Look,” says the Teacher,#7:27 Or the leader of the assembly “this is what I have discovered:
“Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things—
28while I was still searching
but not finding—
I found one upright man among a thousand,
but not one upright woman among them all.
29This only have I found:
God created mankind upright,
but they have gone in search of many schemes.”
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The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.
Ecclesiastes 7
7
1A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth. 2It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart. 3Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. 4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth. 5It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools. 6For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
7Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the heart. 8Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit. 9Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools. 10Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
11Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun. 12For wisdom is a defence as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom maketh them that possess it to live. 13Consider the work of God#GodHebrew: Elohim for who can make straight what he hath made crooked? 14In the day of prosperity enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider: God#GodHebrew: Elohim hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing of what shall be after him. 15All this have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous man that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his days by his wickedness. 16Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? 17Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time? 18It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God#GodHebrew: Elohim cometh forth from them all. 19Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men that are in a city. 20Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not. 21Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee. 22For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
23All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. 24Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out? 25I turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness; 26and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is nets and snares, and whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God#GodHebrew: Elohim shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her. 27See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, searching one by one to find out the reason; 28which my soul yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found. 29Only see this which I have found: that God#GodHebrew: Elohim made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.