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
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.