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
Ecclesiastes 7
1¶ A good name is better than precious ointment and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.
3Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made whole.
4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools.
6The laughter of the fool is as the crackling of thorns under a pot, and this also (the laughter or prosperity of the fool) is vanity.
7¶ Surely oppression makes a wise man mad, and a gift destroys the heart.
8Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and he who has suffered in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9Do not be hasty in thy spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
10Never say, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.
11¶ Knowledge is good with an inheritance and is the excellency of those that see the sun.
12For knowledge is a defence, and money is a defence; but wisdom excels in that it gives life to those that have it.
13Consider the work of God; for who can make straight that which he has twisted?
14In the day of good enjoy that which is good, but in the day of adversity open your eyes and learn: God also has made the one (the day of adversity) before the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.
15All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perishes for his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongs his days by his wickedness.
16Do not be too legalistic; neither make thyself over wise in thine own eyes: why should thou destroy thyself?
17Do not be hasty to condemn, neither be thou foolish: why should thou die in the midst of thy labours?
18 It is good that thou should take hold of this; and also from the other not withdraw thy hand; for he that fears God shall come through with everything.
19Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten mighty men who are in the city.
20For surely there is not a just man upon earth that in doing good does not sin.
21Also do not take to heart all the words that are spoken lest thou hear thy slave speak evil of thee:
22For thine own heart knows that thou thyself likewise hast spoken evil of others many times.
23¶ All this I have proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me.
24That which has been is far off and that which is exceeding deep, who can find it out?
25I applied my heart to know and to search and to seek out wisdom and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the madness of error;
26and I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands are bonds; whosoever pleases God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be held prisoner in her.
27Behold, this I have found, saith the preacher, weighing things one by one to find out the answer,
28which my soul yet seeks, but I find not: one man among a thousand I have found, but a woman among all those I have not found.
29Behold, this only have I found: that God has made man upright, but they have sought out many perversions.
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The Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB) by Ransom Press International