Eclesiastés 7:11-21

11 La sabiduría es aún mejor cuando uno tiene dinero;
ambas cosas son de beneficio a lo largo de la vida.

12 La sabiduría y el dinero abren casi todas las puertas,
pero solo la sabiduría puede salvarte la vida.

13 Acepta el modo en que Dios hace las cosas,
porque, ¿quién puede enderezar lo que él torció?

14 Disfruta de la prosperidad mientras puedas,
pero cuando lleguen los tiempos difíciles, reconoce que ambas cosas provienen de Dios.
Recuerda que nada es seguro en esta vida.

15 Los límites de la sabiduría humana
He visto de todo en esta vida sin sentido, incluso jóvenes buenos que mueren y personas malvadas que tienen una vida larga.

16 Así que, ¡no seas demasiado bueno ni demasiado sabio! ¿Para qué destruirte a ti mismo?

17 Por otra parte, tampoco seas demasiado malo. ¡No seas necio! ¿Para qué morir antes de tiempo?

18 Presta atención a estas instrucciones, porque todo el que teme a Dios evitará caer en ambos extremos.

19 ¡Un solo sabio es más fuerte que diez ciudadanos prominentes de una ciudad!

20 No hay una sola persona en la tierra que siempre sea buena y nunca peque.

21 No escuches conversaciones ajenas a escondidas: podrías escuchar que tu siervo te maldice.

Eclesiastés 7:11-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES 7

The wise man having exposed the many vanities to which men are subject in this life, and showed that there is no real happiness in all outward enjoyments under the sun; proceeds to observe what are remedies against them, of which he had interspersed some few hints before, as the fear and worship of God, and the free and, moderate use of the creatures; and here suggests more, and such as will protect from them, or support under them, or teach and instruct how to behave while attended with them, and to direct to what are proper and necessary in the pursuit of true and real happiness; such as care of a good name and reputation, Ec 7:1; frequent meditation on mortality, Ec 7:2-4; listening to the rebukes of the wise, which are preferable to the songs and mirth of fools, Ec 7:5,6; avoiding oppression and bribery, which are very pernicious, Ec 7:7; patience under provocations, and present bad times, as thought to be, Ec 7:8-10; a pursuit of that wisdom and knowledge which has life annexed to it, Ec 7:11,12; submission to the will of God, and contentment in every state, Ec 7:13,14; shunning extremes in righteousness and sin, the best antidote against which is the fear of God, Ec 7:15-18; such wisdom as not to be offended with everything that is done, or word that is spoken, considering the imperfection of the best of men, the weakness of others, and our own, Ec 7:19-22; and then the wise man acknowledges the imperfection of his own wisdom and knowledge, notwithstanding the pains he had taken, Ec 7:23-25; and laments his sin and folly in being drawn aside by women, Ec 7:26-28; and opens the cause of the depravity of human nature, removes it from God, who made man upright, and ascribes it to man, the inventor of evil things, Ec 7:29.