Ecclesiastes 7 Parallel Bible Translations

Ecclesiastes 7 ▼
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1 A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume. And the day you die is better than the day you are 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 Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies— so the living 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, for sadness has a refining influence on us. 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 A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time. 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 Better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool. 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 A fool’s laughter is quickly gone, like thorns crackling in a fire. This also is meaningless. 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 Extortion turns wise people into fools, and bribes corrupt the heart. 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 Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride. 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 Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool. 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 long for “the good old days.” This is not wise. 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 even better when you have money. Both are a benefit as you go through life. 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 and money can get you almost anything, but only wisdom can save your life. 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 Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he has made crooked? 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 Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life. 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 everything in this meaningless life, including the death of good young people and the long life of wicked people. 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 So don’t be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself? 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 On the other hand, don’t be too wicked either. Don’t be a fool! Why die before your time? 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 Pay attention to these instructions, for anyone who fears God will 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 One wise person is stronger than ten leading citizens of a town! 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 Not a single person on earth is always 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 eavesdrop on others—you may hear your servant curse 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 For you know how often you yourself have cursed others. 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 have always tried my best to let wisdom guide my thoughts and actions. I said to myself, “I am determined to be wise.” But it didn’t work. 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 Wisdom is always distant and difficult to find. 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 searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for things. I was determined to prove to myself that wickedness is stupid and that 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 discovered that a seductive woman is a trap more bitter than death. Her passion is a snare, and her soft hands are chains. Those who are pleasing to God will escape her, but sinners will be caught in her snare. 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 “This is my conclusion,” says the Teacher. “I discovered this after looking at the matter from every possible angle. 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 Though I have searched repeatedly, I have not found what I was looking for. Only one out of a thousand men is virtuous, but not 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 But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path.” 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.”
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