English Standard Version

New Living Translation

The Contrast of Wisdom and Folly

A good name is better than precious ointment,
and the day of death than the day of birth.

1

Wisdom for Life

A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume.
And the day you die is better than the day you are born.

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 mankind,
and the living will lay it to heart.

2

Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties.
After all, everyone dies —
so the living should take this to heart.

3

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

3

Sorrow is better than laughter,
for sadness has a refining influence on us.

4

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

4

A wise person thinks a lot about death,
while a fool thinks only about having a good time.

5

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

5

Better to be criticized by a wise person
than to be praised by a fool.

6

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

6

A fool’s laughter is quickly gone,
like thorns crackling in a fire.
This also is meaningless.

7

Surely oppression drives the wise into madness,
and a bribe corrupts the heart.

7

Extortion turns wise people into fools,
and bribes corrupt the heart.

8

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

8

Finishing is better than starting.
Patience is better than pride.

9

Be not quick in your spirit to become angry,
for anger lodges in the heartb of fools.

9

Control your temper,
for anger labels you a fool.

10

Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?”
For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.

10

Don’t long for “the good old days.”
This is not wise.

11

Wisdom is good with an inheritance,
an advantage to those who see the sun.

11

Wisdom is even better when you have money.
Both are a benefit as you go through life.

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.

12

Wisdom and money can get you almost anything,
but only wisdom can save your life.

13

Consider the work of God:
who can make straight what he has made crooked?

13

Accept the way God does things,
for 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 man may not find out anything that will be after him.

14

Enjoy prosperity while you can,
but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God.
Remember that nothing is certain in this life.

15

In my vainc 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 evildoing.

15

The Limits of Human Wisdom

I have seen everything in this meaningless life, including the death of good young people and the long life of wicked people.

16

Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

16

So don’t be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself?

17

Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time?

17

On the other hand, don’t be too wicked either. Don’t be a fool! Why die before your time?

18

It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.

18

Pay attention to these instructions, for anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes.a

19

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

19

One wise person is stronger than ten leading citizens of a town!

20

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

20

Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins.

21

Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you.

21

Don’t eavesdrop on others — you may hear your servant curse you.

22

Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.

22

For you know how often 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

I have always tried my best to let wisdom guide my thoughts and actions. I said to myself, “I am determined to be wise.” But it didn’t work.

24

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

24

Wisdom is always distant and difficult to find.

25

I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness.

25

I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for things. I was determined to prove to myself that wickedness is stupid and that foolishness is madness.

26

And I find something 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.

26

I discovered that a seductive womanb is a trap more bitter than death. Her passion is a snare, and her soft hands are chains. Those who are pleasing to God will escape her, but sinners will be caught in her snare.

27

Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things —

27

“This is my conclusion,” says the Teacher. “I discovered this after looking at the matter from every possible angle.

28

which my soul 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

Though I have searched repeatedly, I have not found what I was looking for. Only one out of a thousand men is virtuous, but not one woman!

29

See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

29

But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path.”

Parallel

English Standard Version

New Living Translation

Ecclesiastes 7

Ecclesiastes 7