Ecclesiastes 7
Ecclesiastes 7
A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one’s birth. Verse 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 should take this to heart. Verse 3. Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good. Verse 4. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. Verse 5. It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools. Verse 6. For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity. Verse 7. Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding. Verse 8. Better is the end of a thing than its beginning.
The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Verse 9. Don’t be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools. Verse 10. Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this.
Verse 11. Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent for those who see the sun. Verse 12. For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
Verse 13. Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight which he has made crooked? Verse 14. In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.
Verse 15. All this I have seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing. Verse 16. Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Verse 17. Don’t be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time? Verse 18. It is good that you should take hold of this. Yes, also don’t withdraw your hand from that; for he who fears God will come out of them all. Verse 19. Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city. Verse 20. Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and doesn’t sin. Verse 21. Also don’t take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you; Verse 22. for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others. Verse 23. All this I have proved in wisdom. I said, “I will be wise;” but it was far from me. Verse 24. That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out? Verse 25. I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.
Verse 26. I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.
Verse 27. “Behold, I have found this,” says the Preacher, “to one another, to find an explanation Verse 28. which my soul still seeks, but I have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all those. Verse 29. Behold, I have only found this: that God made mankind upright; but they search for many inventions.”