Ecclesiastes 7
7
No one knows what the future will bring
The best in life
1A good reputation#Pr 22.1.
at the time of death
is better than loving care
at the time of birth.#7.1 birth: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 1.
2It's better to go to a funeral
than to attend a feast;
funerals remind us
that we all must die.
3Choose sorrow over laughter
because a sad face
may hide a happy heart.
4A sensible person mourns,
but fools always laugh.
5Harsh correction is better
than the songs of a fool.
6Foolish laughter is stupid.
It sounds like thorns
crackling in a fire.
7Corruption#7.7 Corruption: Or “Oppression”. makes fools
of sensible people,
and bribes can ruin you.
8Something completed is better
than something just begun;
patience is better
than too much pride.
9Only fools get angry quickly#Jas 1.19.
and hold a grudge.
10It isn't wise to ask,
“Why is everything worse
than it used to be?”
11Having wisdom is better
than an inheritance.
12Wisdom will protect you
just like money;
knowledge with good sense
will lead you to life.
13Think of what God has done!
If God makes something crooked,
can you make it straight?
14When times are good,
you should be cheerful;
when times are bad,
think what it means.
God makes them both
to keep us from knowing
what will happen next.
Some of life's questions
15I have seen everything during this senseless life of mine. I have seen good citizens die for doing the right thing, and I have seen criminals live to a ripe old age. 16So don't destroy yourself by being too good or acting too clever! 17Don't die before your time by being too evil or acting like a fool. 18Keep to the middle of the road. You can do this if you truly respect God.
19Wisdom will make you stronger than the ten most powerful leaders in your city.
20No one in this world always does right.
21Don't listen to everything that everyone says, or you might hear your servant cursing you. 22Haven't you cursed many others?
23I told myself that I would be clever and try to understand all of this, but it was too much for me. 24The truth is beyond us. It's far too deep. 25So I decided to learn everything I could and become wise enough to discover what life is all about. At the same time, I wanted to understand why it's stupid and senseless to be an evil fool.
26Here is what I discovered: a bad woman is worse than death. She is a trap, reaching out with body and soul to catch you. But if you obey God, you can escape. If you don't obey, you are done for. 27With all my wisdom I have tried to find out how everything fits together, 28but so far I have not been able to. I do know there is one good man in a thousand, but never have I found a good woman. 29I did learn one thing: we were completely honest when God created us, but now we have twisted minds.
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Ecclesiastes 7: CEVUK
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012
Ecclesiastes 7
7
Some Benefits of Serious Thinking
1It is better to have respect than good perfume.
The day of death is better than the day of birth.
2It is better to go to a funeral
than to a party.
We all must die,
and everyone living should think about this.
3Sorrow is better than laughter,
and sadness has a good influence on you.
4A wise person thinks about death,
but a fool thinks only about having a good time.
5It is better to be criticized by a wise person
than to be praised by a fool.
6The laughter of fools
is like the crackling of thorns in a cooking fire.
Both are useless.
7Even wise people are fools
if they let money change their thinking.
8It is better to finish something
than to start it.
It is better to be patient
than to be proud.
9Don’t become angry quickly,
because getting angry is foolish.
10Don’t ask, “Why was life better in the ‘good old days’?”
It is not wise to ask such questions.
11Wisdom is better when it comes with money.
They both help those who are alive.
12Wisdom is like money:
they both help.
But wisdom is better,
because it can save whoever has it.
13Look at what God has done:
No one can straighten what he has bent.
14When life is good, enjoy it.
But when life is hard, remember:
God gives good times and hard times,
and no one knows what tomorrow will bring.
It Is Impossible to Be Truly Good
15In my useless life I have seen both of these:
I have seen good people die in spite of their goodness
and evil people live a long time in spite of their evil.
16Don’t be too right,
and don’t be too wise.
Why destroy yourself?
17Don’t be too wicked,
and don’t be foolish.
Why die before your time?
18It is good to grab the one and not let go of the other;
those who honor God will hold them both.
19Wisdom makes a person stronger
than ten leaders in a city.
20Surely there is not a good person on earth
who always does good and never sins.
21Don’t listen to everything people say,
or you might hear your servant insulting you.
22You know that many times
you have insulted others.
23I used wisdom to test all these things.
I wanted to be wise,
but it was too hard for me.
24I cannot understand why things are as they are.
It is too hard for anyone to understand.
25I studied and tried very hard to find wisdom,
to find some meaning for everything.
I learned that it is foolish to be evil,
and it is crazy to act like a fool.
26I found that some women are worse than death
and are as dangerous as traps.
Their love is like a net,
and their arms hold men like chains.
A man who pleases God will be saved from them,
but a sinner will be caught by them.
27The Teacher says, “This is what I learned:
I added all these things together
to find some meaning for everything.
28While I was searching,
I did not find one man among the thousands I found.
Nor did I find a woman among all these.
29One thing I have learned:
God made people good,
but they have found all kinds of ways to be bad.”
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.