Ecclesiastes 7 Parallel Bible Translations

Ecclesiastes 7 ▼
swipe to see more →
GWT
God's Word Translation
ESV
English Standard Version
NIV
New International Version
+Add
1 A good name is better than expensive perfume, and the day you die is better than the day you're born. A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth. A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth.
2 It is better to go to a funeral than to a banquet because that is where everyone will end up. Everyone who is alive should take this to heart! It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter because, in spite of a sad face, the heart can be joyful. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad. Frustration is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart.
4 The minds of wise people think about funerals, but the minds of fools think about banquets. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. The 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 listen to wise people who reprimand you than to fools who sing your praises. It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools. It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools.
6 The laughter of a fool is like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot. Even this is pointless. For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fools; this also is vanity. Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless.
7 Oppression can turn a wise person into a fool, and a bribe can corrupt the mind. Surely oppression drives the wise into madness, and a bribe corrupts the heart. Extortion turns a wise person into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 The end of something is better than its beginning. It is better to be patient than arrogant. Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.
9 Don't be quick to get angry, because anger is typical of fools. Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools. Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.
10 Don't ask, |Why were things better in the old days than they are now?| It isn't wisdom that leads you to ask this! Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this. Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions.
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. It is an advantage to everyone who sees the sun. Wisdom is good with an inheritance, an advantage to those who see the sun. Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun.
12 Wisdom protects us just as money protects us, but the advantage of wisdom is that it gives life to those who have it. 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. Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it.
13 Consider what God has done! Who can straighten what God has bent? Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked? Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked?
14 When times are good, be happy. But when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one time as well as the other so that mortals cannot predict their future. In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him. When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.
15 I have seen it all in my pointless life: Righteous people die in spite of being righteous. Wicked people go on living in spite of being wicked. In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing. In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: the righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness.
16 Don't be too virtuous, and don't be too wise. Why make yourself miserable? Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise— why destroy yourself?
17 Don't be too wicked, and don't be a fool. Why should you die before your time is up? Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool— why die before your time?
18 It's good to hold on to the one and not let go of the other, because the one who fears God will be able to avoid both extremes. It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them. It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.
19 Wisdom will help a wise person more than ten rulers can help a city. Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city. Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful than ten rulers in a city.
20 Certainly, there is no one so righteous on earth that he always does what is good and never sins. Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.
21 Don't take everything that people say to heart, or you may hear your own servant cursing you. Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you—
22 Your conscience knows that you have cursed others many times. Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others. for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
23 I used wisdom to test all of this. I said, |I want to be wise, but it is out of my reach.| All this I have tested by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me. All this I tested by wisdom and I said, “I am determined to be wise|— but this was beyond me.
24 Whatever wisdom may be, it is out of reach. It is deep, very deep. Who can find out what it is? That which has been is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out? Whatever exists is far off and most profound— who can discover it?
25 I turned my attention to study, to explore, and to seek out wisdom and the reason for things. I learned that wickedness is stupid and foolishness is madness. I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness. So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly.
26 I find that a woman whose thoughts are [like] traps and snares is more bitter than death itself. Even her hands are [like] chains. Whoever pleases God will escape her, but she will catch whoever continues to sin. And I find something 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. I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare.
27 The spokesman said, |This is what I've found: I added one thing to another in order to find a reason for things. Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things— “Look,” says the Teacher, “this is what I have discovered: “Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things—
28 I am still seeking a reason for things, but have not found any. I found one man out of a thousand who had it, but out of all these I didn't find one woman. which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. while I was still searching but not finding— I found one upright man among a thousand, but not one upright woman among them all.
29 I have found only this: God made people decent, but they looked for many ways [to avoid being decent].| See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes. This only have I found: God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of many schemes.”
Previous chapter
Top of Page
Top of Page