Parallel Bible results for "ecclesiastes 7"

Ecclesiastes 7

Revised Standard Version RSV

1 A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death, 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 all men, and the living will lay it to heart.

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

4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

5 It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools.

6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fools; this also is vanity.

7 Surely oppression makes the wise man foolish, and a bribe corrupts the mind.

8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

9 Be not quick to anger, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.

10 Say not, "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, an advantage to 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 preserves the life of him who has it.

13 Consider the work of God; who can make straight 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 man may not find out anything that will be after him.

15 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 evil-doing.

16 Be not righteous overmuch, and do not make yourself overwise; why should you destroy yourself?

17 Be not wicked overmuch, neither be a fool; why should you die before your time?

18 It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand; for he who fears God shall come forth from them all.

19 Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers that are in a city.

20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

21 Do not give heed to all the things that men say, lest you hear your servant cursing you;

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

23 All this I have tested by wisdom; I said, "I will be wise"; but it was far from me.

24 That which is, is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out?

25 I turned my mind to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the sum of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness which is madness.

26 And I found 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.

27 Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, adding one thing to another to find the sum,

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.

29 Behold, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.

GOD'S WORD Translation GW

1 A good name is better than expensive perfume, and the day you die is better than the day you're born.

2 It is better to go to a funeral than to a banquet because that is where everyone will end up. Everyone who is alive should take this to heart!

3 Sorrow is better than laughter because, in spite of a sad face, the heart can be joyful.

4 The minds of wise people think about funerals, but the minds of fools think about banquets.

5 It is better to listen to wise people who reprimand you than to fools who sing your praises.

6 The laughter of a fool is like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot. Even this is pointless.

7 Oppression can turn a wise person into a fool, and a bribe can corrupt the mind.

8 The end of something is better than its beginning. It is better to be patient than arrogant.

9 Don't be quick to get angry, because anger is typical of fools.

10 Don't ask, "Why were things better in the old days than they are now?" It isn't wisdom that leads you to ask this!

11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. It is an advantage to everyone who sees the sun.

12 Wisdom protects us just as money protects us, but the advantage of wisdom is that it gives life to those who have it.

13 Consider what God has done! Who can straighten what God has bent?

14 When times are good, be happy. But when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one time as well as the other so that mortals cannot predict their future.

15 I have seen it all in my pointless life: Righteous people die in spite of being righteous. Wicked people go on living in spite of being wicked.

16 Don't be too virtuous, and don't be too wise. Why make yourself miserable?

17 Don't be too wicked, and don't be a fool. Why should you die before your time is up?

18 It's good to hold on to the one and not let go of the other, because the one who fears God will be able to avoid both extremes.

19 Wisdom will help a wise person more than ten rulers can help a city.

20 Certainly, there is no one so righteous on earth that he always does what is good and never sins.

21 Don't take everything that people say to heart, or you may hear your own servant cursing you.

22 Your conscience knows that you have cursed others many times.

23 I used wisdom to test all of this. I said, "I want to be wise, but it is out of my reach."

24 Whatever wisdom may be, it is out of reach. It is deep, very deep. Who can find out what it is?

25 I turned my attention to study, to explore, and to seek out wisdom and the reason for things. I learned that wickedness is stupid and foolishness is madness.

26 I find that a woman whose thoughts are [like] traps and snares is more bitter than death itself. Even her hands are [like] chains. Whoever pleases God will escape her, but she will catch whoever continues to sin.

27 The spokesman said, "This is what I've found: I added one thing to another in order to find a reason for things.

28 I am still seeking a reason for things, but have not found any. I found one man out of a thousand who had it, but out of all these I didn't find one woman.

29 I have found only this: God made people decent, but they looked for many ways [to avoid being decent]."