Parallel Bible results for "Ecclesiastes 7"

Ecclesiastes 7

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1 A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death, than the day of birth.
1 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 the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for this is the end of everyone, and the living will lay it to heart.
2 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 by sadness of countenance the heart is made glad.
3 Frustration is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
4 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 hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools.
5 It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools.
6 For like the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of fools; this also is vanity.
6 Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless.
7 Surely oppression makes the wise foolish, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
7 Extortion turns a wise person into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; the patient in spirit are better than the proud in spirit.
8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.
9 Do not be quick to anger, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.
9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.
10 Do not say, "Why were the former days better than these?" For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.
10 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, an advantage to those who see the sun.
11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun.
12 For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to the one who possesses it.
12 Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it.
13 Consider the work of God; who can make straight what he has made crooked?
13 Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked?
14 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 mortals may not find out anything that will come after them.
14 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 In my vain life I have seen everything; there are righteous people who perish in their righteousness, and there are wicked people who prolong their life in their evildoing.
15 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 Do not be too righteous, and do not act too wise; why should you destroy yourself?
16 Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise— why destroy yourself?
17 Do not be too wicked, and do not be a fool; why should you die before your time?
17 Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool— why die before your time?
18 It is good that you should take hold of the one, without letting go of the other; for the one who fears God shall succeed with both.
18 It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.
19 Wisdom gives strength to the wise more than ten rulers that are in a city.
19 Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful than ten rulers in a city.
20 Surely there is no one on earth so righteous as to do good without ever sinning.
20 Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.
21 Do not give heed to everything that people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you;
21 Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you—
22 your heart knows that many times you have yourself cursed others.
22 for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
23 All this I have tested by wisdom; I said, "I will be wise," but it was far from me.
23 All this I tested by wisdom and I said, “I am determined to be wise”— but this was beyond me.
24 That which is, is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out?
24 Whatever exists is far off and most profound— who can discover it?
25 I turned my mind to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the sum of things, and to know that wickedness is folly and that foolishness is madness.
25 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 found more bitter than death the woman who is a trap, whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are fetters; one who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her.
26 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 See, this is what I found, says the Teacher, adding one thing to another to find the sum,
27 “Look,” says the Teacher, “this is what I have discovered: “Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things—
28 which my mind 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.
28 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 See, this alone I found, that God made human beings straightforward, but they have devised many schemes.
29 This only have I found: God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of many schemes.”
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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