New American Standard Bible

English Standard Version

Wisdom and Folly Contrasted

A good name is better than a good ointment,
And the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.

1

The Contrast of Wisdom and Folly

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 a house of mourning
Than to go to a house of feasting,
Because that is the end of every man,
And the living takes it to heart.

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.

3

Sorrow is better than laughter,
For when a face is sad a heart may be happy.

3

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

4

The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning,
While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.

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 to listen to the rebuke of a wise man
Than for one to listen to the song of fools.

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 thorn bushes under a pot,
So is the laughter of the fool;
And this too is futility.

6

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

7

For oppression makes a wise man mad,
And a bribe corrupts the heart.

7

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

8

The end of a matter is better than its beginning;
Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit.

8

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

9

Do not be eager in your heart to be angry,
For anger resides in the bosom of fools.

9

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

10

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

10

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

11

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

11

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

12

For wisdom is protection just as money is protection,
But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors.

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,
For who is able to straighten what He has bent?

13

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

14

In the day of prosperity be happy,
But in the day of adversity consider —
God has made the one as well as the other
So that man will not discover anything that will be after him.

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

I have seen everything during my lifetime of futility; there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness.

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.

16

Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself?

16

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

17

Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?

17

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

18

It is good that you grasp one thing and also not let go of the other; for the one who fears God comes forth with both of them.

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.

19

Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.

19

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

20

Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.

20

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

21

Also, do not take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you.

21

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

22

For you also have realized that you likewise have many times cursed others.

22

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

23

I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me.

23

All this I have tested by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me.

24

What has been is remote and exceedingly mysterious. Who can discover it?

24

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

25

I directed my mind to know, to investigate and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the evil of folly and the foolishness of madness.

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.

26

And I discovered more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are chains. One who is pleasing to God will escape from her, but the sinner will be captured by her.

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.

27

“Behold, I have discovered this,” says the Preacher, “adding one thing to another to find an explanation,

27

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

28

which I am still seeking but have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all these.

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.

29

“Behold, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices.”

29

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

Parallel

New American Standard Bible

English Standard Version

Ecclesiastes 7

Ecclesiastes 7