Ecclesiastes 7 :: New English Translation (NET)

Wisdom and Folly Contrasted

Ecc 7:1A good reputation is better than precious perfume; likewise, the day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth.

Ecc 7:2

Ecc 7:2It is better to go to a funeral than a feast. For death is the destiny of every person, and the living should take this to heart.

Ecc 7:3

Ecc 7:3Sorrow is better than laughter, because sober reflection is good for the heart.

Ecc 7:4

Ecc 7:4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of merrymaking.

Ecc 7:5

Ecc 7:5It is better for a person to receive a rebuke from those who are wise than to listen to the song of fools.

Ecc 7:6

Ecc 7:6For like the crackling of quick-burning thorns under a cooking pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This kind of folly also is useless.

Ecc 7:7

Ecc 7:7Surely oppression can turn a wise person into a fool; likewise, a bribe corrupts the heart.

Ecc 7:8

Ecc 7:8The end of a matter is better than its beginning; likewise, patience is better than pride.

Ecc 7:9

Ecc 7:9Do not let yourself be quickly provoked, for anger resides in the lap of fools.

Ecc 7:10

Ecc 7:10Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these days?" for it is not wise to ask that.

Ecc 7:11

Ecc 7:11Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing; it benefits those who see the light of day.

Ecc 7:12

Ecc 7:12For wisdom provides protection, just as money provides protection. But the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves the life of its owner.

Ecc 7:13

Ecc 7:13Consider the work of God: For who can make straight what he has bent?

Ecc 7:14

Ecc 7:14In times of prosperity be joyful, but in times of adversity consider this: God has made one as well as the other, so that no one can discover what the future holds.

Ecc 7:15

Ecc 7:15During the days of my fleeting life I have seen both of these things: Sometimes a righteous person dies prematurely in spite of his righteousness, and sometimes a wicked person lives long in spite of his evil deeds.

Ecc 7:16

Ecc 7:16So do not be excessively righteous or excessively wise; otherwise you might be disappointed.

Ecc 7:17

Ecc 7:17Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool; otherwise you might die before your time.

Ecc 7:18

Ecc 7:18It is best to take hold of one warning without letting go of the other warning; for the one who fears God will follow both warnings.

Ecc 7:19

Ecc 7:19Wisdom gives a wise person more protection than ten rulers in a city.

Ecc 7:20

Ecc 7:20For there is not one truly righteous person on the earth who continually does good and never sins.

Ecc 7:21

Ecc 7:21Also, do not pay attention to everything that people say; otherwise, you might even hear your servant cursing you.

Ecc 7:22

Ecc 7:22For you know in your own heart that you also have cursed others many times.

Ecc 7:23

Ecc 7:23I have examined all this by wisdom; I said, "I am determined to comprehend this" - but it was beyond my grasp.

Ecc 7:24

Ecc 7:24Whatever has happened is beyond human understanding; it is far deeper than anyone can fathom.

Ecc 7:25

Ecc 7:25I tried to understand, examine, and comprehend the role of wisdom in the scheme of things, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the insanity of folly.

Ecc 7:26

Ecc 7:26I discovered this: More bitter than death is the kind of woman who is like a hunter's snare; her heart is like a hunter's net and her hands are like prison chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is captured by her.

Ecc 7:27

Ecc 7:27The Teacher says: I discovered this while trying to discover the scheme of things, item by item.

Ecc 7:28

Ecc 7:28What I have continually sought, I have not found; I have found only one upright man among a thousand, but I have not found one upright woman among all of them.

Ecc 7:29

Ecc 7:29This alone have I discovered: God made humankind upright, but they have sought many evil schemes.

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Ecclesiastes Chapter 7 — Additional Translations:

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Ecclesiastes 7 :: New English Translation (NET)

Wisdom and Folly Contrasted

Pericope

Ecclesiastes Chapter 7 — Additional Translations:

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