Ecclesiastes 7 NIV ISV Parallel

◄ Ecclesiastes 7 ►

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1A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth.

1A good name exceeds the value of fine perfume, and the day of someone's death exceeds the value of the day of his birth.

2It 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.

2It's better to attend a funeral than to attend a banquet, for everyone dies eventually, and the living will take this to heart.

3Frustration is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart.

3Sorrow is better than laughter, because the heart is made better through trouble.

4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

4For the wise person thinks carefully when in mourning, but fools focus their thoughts on pleasure.

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

5It is better to listen to a wise person's rebuke than to listen to the praise of fools.

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

6For as thorns burn to heat a pot, so also is the laughter of the fool— even this is pointless.

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

7Unjust gain makes the wise foolish, and a bribe corrupts the heart.

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

8The conclusion of something is better than its beginning, and a patient attitude is more valuable than a proud one.

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

9Never be in a hurry to become internally angry, since anger settles down in the lap of fools.

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

10Never ask "Why does the past seem so much better than now?" because this question does not come from wisdom.

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

11Wise use of possessions is good; it brings benefit to the living.

12Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it.

12Indeed, wisdom gives protection, just like money does, but it's better to know that wisdom gives life, to those who have mastered it.

13Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked?

13Consider the work of God: Who is able to straighten what he has bent?

14When 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.

14When times are good, be joyful; when times are bad, consider this: God made the one as well as the other, so people won't seek anything outside of his best.

15In 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.

15I have seen it all during my pointless life: both a righteous person who dies while he is righteous, and a wicked person who lives to an old age, while remaining wicked.

16Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise-- why destroy yourself?

16Do not be overly righteous, nor be overly wise. Why be self-destructive?

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

17Do not excel at wickedness, nor be a fool. Why die before your time?

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

18It is good for you to grab hold of this and not let go, because whoever fears God will escape all of these extremes.

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

19Wisdom given as strength to a wise person is better than having ten powerful men in the city.

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

20For there is not a single righteous man on earth who practices good and does not sin.

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

21Don't listen to everything that is spoken— you may hear your servant cursing you,

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

22since you also know how often you have cursed others.

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

23I used my wisdom to test all of this. I said, "I want to be wise," but it was beyond me.

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

24Whatever it is, it's far off and most profound. Who can attain it?

25So 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.

25I committed myself to understand, to learn, to search for wisdom and explanations, and to understand both the evil that is foolishness and the stupidity that is delusion.

26I 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.

26I discovered for myself a bitterness that surpasses that of death: the woman whose heart is full of snares and nets, whose hands are chains of bondage. Whoever pleases God will escape from her, but the transgressor will be trapped by her.

27"Look," says the Teacher, "this is what I have discovered: "Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things--

27"Look at this," says the Teacher. "Linking one thing to another, I reached this conclusion:

28while I was still searching but not finding-- I found one upright man among a thousand, but not one upright woman among them all.

28Among the things I seek but have not found: one man among a thousand I did find, but I have not found one woman to be wise among all these.

29This only have I found: God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of many schemes."

29I have discovered only this: God made human beings for righteousness, but they seek many alternatives."

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