Parallel Bible results for "Ecclesiastes 7"

Ecclesiastes 7

Lexham English Bible LEB

1 A good name [is] better than precious ointment, and the day of death [is better] than the day of one's birth.

2 Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for [death is] the end of every person, and the living should take [it] to his heart.

3 Sorrow [is] better than laughter, for by sadness of countenance the heart is made good.

4 The heart of the wise [is] in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools [is] in the house of mirth.

5 Better to listen to [the] rebuke of [the] wise than for a man to listen to [the] song of fools.

6 Like the sound of thorns under a pot, so also the laughter of fools. This also [is] vanity!

7 Surely oppression makes a fool of the wise, and a bribe corrupts the heart.

8 The end of a matter [is] better than its beginning; {better to be slow to anger than hot-headed}.

9 Do not be quick in your spirit to anger, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.

10 Do not say, "Why were the former days better than these?" For [it is] not from wisdom [that] you ask this.

11 Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance; {it benefits the living}.

12 {For wisdom offers protection like money offers protection}. But knowledge [has] an advantage--wisdom restores life to its possessor.

13 Consider the work of God. For who is able to make straight what he made crooked?

14 In the day of prosperity, rejoice! But in the day of adversity, consider! For God made one in place of another so that mortals cannot find out what will happen {in the future}.

15 I have seen all these things in my vain life: Sometimes a righteous man perishes in [spite of] his righteousness, and sometimes a wicked man lives a long life in [spite of] his evil.

16 Do not be excessively righteous, and do not act excessively wise, lest you destroy yourself.

17 Do not act excessively wicked, and do not be a fool, lest you die before your time.

18 [It is] good to take hold of the one and also must not let go of the other; for whoever fears God will hold both of them secure.

19 Wisdom gives more strength to the wise than ten rulers who are in the city.

20 Surely there is no one righteous on the earth who [continually] does good and never sins.

21 Do not pay attention to everything people say, lest you hear your own servant curse you.

22 For your heart knows that you also have cursed others many times.

23 All this I have tested with wisdom. I said, "I will be wise!" but {it was beyond my grasp}.

24 {Whatever is--it is far beyond comprehension}. Who can discover it?

25 I set my mind to try to seek wisdom and the plan, and to know that wickedness [is] foolishness and that folly [is] delusion.

26 I myself found [that] more bitter than death [is] the woman who [is] a trap, whose heart [is] a snare, and whose hands [are] bonds. The one who pleases God escapes from her, but the sinner is caught by her.

27 "Look! I found this," said the Teacher, "while trying to find how the plan fits together.

28 What my heart sought, I did not find. Although I found one righteous man among one thousand, I did not find one [upright] woman among all these.

29 Look! This alone I found: God made mankind upright, but they have devised many schemes."

New International Version NIV

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 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 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 pleasure.

5 It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools.

6 Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless.

7 Extortion turns a wise person into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.

8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.

9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.

10 Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions.

11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun.

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 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 as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.

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 overrighteous, neither be overwise— why destroy yourself?

17 Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool— why die before your time?

18 It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.

19 Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful than ten rulers in a city.

20 Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.

21 Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you—

22 for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.

23 All this I tested by wisdom and I said, “I am determined to be wise”— but this was beyond me.

24 Whatever exists is far off and most profound— who can discover it?

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 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 “Look,” says the Teacher, “this is what I have discovered: “Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things—

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 This only have I found: God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of many schemes.”