Parallel Bible results for "Ecclesiastes 7:24-29"

Ecclesiastes 7:24-29

MSG

NIV

24 far beyond me, and deep - oh so deep! Does anyone ever find it?
24 Whatever exists is far off and most profound— who can discover it?
25 I concentrated with all my might, studying and exploring and seeking wisdom - the meaning of life. I also wanted to identify evil and stupidity, foolishness and craziness.
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 One discovery: A woman can be a bitter pill to swallow, full of seductive scheming and grasping. The lucky escape her; the undiscerning get caught.
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 At least this is my experience - what I, the Quester, have pieced together as I've tried to make sense of life.
27 “Look,” says the Teacher, “this is what I have discovered: “Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things—
28 But the wisdom I've looked for I haven't found. I didn't find one man or woman in a thousand worth my while.
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 Yet I did spot one ray of light in this murk: God made men and women true and upright; we're the ones who've made a mess of things.
29 This only have I found: God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of many schemes.”
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
Scripture quoted by permission.  Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.  NIV®.  Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica.  All rights reserved worldwide.