Ecclesiastes 7 NIV NLT Parallel

◄ Ecclesiastes 7 ►

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New Living Translation

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

1A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume. And the day you die is better than the day you are born.

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.

2Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies— so the living should take this to heart.

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

3Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us.

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

4A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time.

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

5Better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool.

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

6A fool’s laughter is quickly gone, like thorns crackling in a fire. This also is meaningless.

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

7Extortion turns wise people into fools, and bribes corrupt the heart.

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

8Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride.

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

9Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.

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

10Don’t long for “the good old days.” This is not wise.

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

11Wisdom is even better when you have money. Both are a benefit as you go through life.

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

12Wisdom and money can get you almost anything, but only wisdom can save your life.

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

13Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he has made crooked?

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.

14Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life. The Limits of Human Wisdom

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

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

16So don’t be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself?

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

17On the other hand, don’t be too wicked either. Don’t 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.

18Pay attention to these instructions, for anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes.

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

19One wise person is stronger than ten leading citizens of a town!

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

20Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins.

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

21Don’t eavesdrop on others—you may hear your servant curse you.

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

22For you know how often you yourself have cursed others.

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

23I 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.

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

24Wisdom is always distant and difficult to find.

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 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.

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

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

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

28Though 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!

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

29But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path.”

New International Version (NIV)

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