Ecclesiastes 7
7
Wise Sayings
1A good name is better than fine perfume, # Pr 22:1; Ezk 36:21
and the day of one’s death than the day of one’s birth. # Ec 4:2
2It is better to go to a house of mourning
than to go to a house of feasting,
since that is the end of all mankind,
and the living should take it to heart. # Ps 90:12
3Grief is better than laughter,
for when a face is sad, a heart may be glad. # Pr 14:13
4The heart of the wise is in a house of mourning,
but the heart of fools is in a house of pleasure.
5It is better to listen to rebuke from a wise person
than to listen to the song of fools, # Pr 13:1
6for like the crackling of burning thorns under the pot, # Ps 58:9; 118:12
so is the laughter of the fool.
This too is futile.
7Surely, the practice of extortion turns a wise person into a fool, # Ec 4:1
and a bribe destroys the mind. # Dt 16:19; Pr 17:8
8The end of a matter is better than its beginning;
a patient spirit is better than a proud spirit. # Pr 14:29
9Don’t let your spirit rush to be angry,
for anger abides in the heart of fools. # Pr 14:17; Jms 1:19
10Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these? ” # Jdg 6:13
since it is not wise of you to ask this.
11Wisdom is as good as an inheritance
and an advantage to those who see the sun,
12because wisdom is protection as money is protection,
and the advantage of knowledge
is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner. # Pr 3:18
13Consider the work of God, # Ec 3:11
for who can straighten out
what He has made crooked? # Ec 1:15
14In the day of prosperity be joyful, # Ec 3:22 but in the day of adversity, consider: God has made the one as well as the other, # Lm 3:38 so that man cannot discover anything that will come after him.
Avoiding Extremes
15In my futile life # Lit days I have seen everything: # Ec 6:12; 9:9 there is a righteous man who perishes in spite of his righteousness, # Ec 8:14 and there is a wicked man who lives long in spite of his evil. # Ec 8:12-13 16Don’t be excessively righteous, and don’t be overly wise. # Ec 2:15; Rm 12:3 Why should you destroy yourself? 17Don’t be excessively wicked, and don’t be foolish. Why should you die before your time? # Jb 22:16; Ps 55:23; Pr 10:27 18It is good that you grasp the one and do not let the other slip from your hand. For the one who fears God will end up with both of them.
19Wisdom makes the wise man stronger
than ten rulers of a city. # Ec 9:13-18
20There is certainly no righteous man on the earth
who does good and never sins. # 1Kg 8:46; Rm 3:23
21Don’t pay attention # Lit Don’t give your heart to everything people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you, # Pr 30:10 22for you know that many times you yourself have cursed others.
What the Teacher Found
23I have tested all this by wisdom. I resolved, “I will be wise,” but it was beyond me. 24What exists is beyond reach and very deep. # Rm 11:33 Who can discover it? 25I turned my thoughts to know, explore, and seek wisdom # Ec 1:15,17 and an explanation for things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity and folly is madness. 26And I find more bitter than death # Pr 5:4 the woman who is a trap, # Pr 6:25 her heart a net, and her hands chains. The one who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner will be captured by her. 27“Look,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find out the explanation, 28which my soul continually searches for but does not find: among a thousand people I have found one true man, but among all these I have not found a true woman. # 1Kg 11:3 29Only see this: I have discovered that God made people upright, # Gn 1:27 but they pursued many schemes.”
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© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.
Ecclesiastes 7
7
The Value of Wisdom
1#Pr 22:1; Ecc 4:2 A good name is better than precious ointment,
and the day of death than the day of birth.
2#Ps 90:12 It is better to go to a house of mourning
than to go to a house of feasting,
for this is the end of all mankind;
and the living will lay it to heart.
3Grief is better than laughter,
for with a downcast face the heart considers the good.
4The heart of those who are wise is in the house of mourning,
but the heart of those who are foolish in the house of feasting.
5#Ps 141:5; Pr 15:31–32 It is better to hear the rebuke from a wise man
than a man listen to the song of fools.
6#Ps 58:9; 118:12 For like the crackling sound of thorns under a pot,
so is the mocking laughter of fools.
And this is also vanity.
7#Dt 16:19; Ex 23:8 For oppression brings confusion to the wise man,
and a bribe destroys a man’s heart.
8#Pr 14:29; 16:32 The end of a matter is better than the beginning of it,
and the patient in spirit than the haughty in spirit.
9#Pr 14:17; Jas 1:19; Pr 16:32 Do not be quick in your spirit to be angry,
for irritation settles in the bosom of fools.
10Do not say, “Why were the earlier days better than these days?”
For it is not from wisdom that you inquire this.
11#Ecc 11:7 Wisdom is good with an inheritance,
and an advantage to those who see the sun.
12#Pr 3:18; 8:35 For the protection of wisdom
is like the protection of money,
and the advantage of knowledge is
that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
13#Ecc 1:15; Job 12:14Consider the work of God:
Who is able to make straight
what He has made crooked?
14#Ecc 3:22; Dt 28:47 In the day of prosperity be joyful,
but in the day of distress consider:
God has made the one
as well as the other.
For this reason man will not be able to understand
anything that comes after him.
15#Ecc 8:12–14; 6:12I have seen everything in my days of vanity:
There is the righteous man who dies in his righteousness,
and there is the wicked man who extends his life of evil.
16#Ro 12:3; Pr 25:16 Do not be excessively righteous,
and do not be extremely wise;
why should you destroy yourself?
17#Ps 55:23; Pr 10:27 Do not be overly wicked,
and do not be a fool;
why should you die before your time?
18#Ecc 8:12; 11:6 It is good that you should take hold of this,
and from the other not withhold your hand;
for he who fears God will come out from them all.
19#Pr 21:22; 24:5 Wisdom strengthens the wise man
more than ten rulers who are in the city.
20#1Ki 8:46; 2Ch 6:36; Pr 20:9 For there is not a righteous man on earth
who only does good and refrains from sin.
21#Pr 30:10 Do not give heed to everything people say,
lest you hear your servant cursing you.
22Your heart knows
that many times you have spoken a curse against others.
23#Ro 1:22All this I have tested by wisdom. I said,
“I will be wise,”
but it was far from me.
24#Ro 11:33; 1Ti 6:16 That which is, is far off,
and exceedingly deep.
Who can find it out?
25#Ecc 10:13 And I turned my heart to know,
and seek and search out wisdom in how things are
and to experience wicked folly,
even foolishness and madness.
26#Pr 22:14; 2:18–19 I find more bitter than death
the woman whose heart is snares
and nets,
and whose hands are fetters.
He who pleases God escapes her,
but the sinner is taken by her.
27“See, this is what I found,” says the Preacher,
“adding one thing to another to find the sum,
28#Job 33:23 which my soul still seeks
but I do not find:
One man among a thousand I have found,
but a woman among all these I have not found.
29#Ge 3:6–7 See, this only have I found:
that God made man upright,
but they have sought out many schemes.”
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