Ecclesiastes 7 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Wisdom and Folly Contrasted

1 Better ^H2896 is a good ^H2896 name ^H8034 than ^H4480 good ^H2896 oil ^H8081,

And better is the day ^H3117 of one’s death ^H4194 than ^H4480 the day ^H3117 of one’s birth ^H3205.

2 Better ^H2896 to go ^H1980 to a house ^H1004 of mourning ^H60

Than ^H4480 to go ^H1980 to a house ^H1004 of feasting ^H4960

Because ^H834 [fn]that is the end ^H5490 of all ^H3605 mankind ^H120,

And the living ^H2416 puts ^H5414 this in his heart ^H3820.

3 Better ^H2896 is vexation ^H3708 than ^H4480 laughter ^H7814,

For when a face ^H6440 is sad ^H7455 a heart ^H3820 may be ^H3190 merry ^H3190.

4 The heart ^H3820 of the wise ^H2450 is in the house ^H1004 of mourning ^H60,

While the heart ^H3820 of fools ^H3684 is in the house ^H1004 of gladness ^H8057.

5 Better ^H2896 to listen ^H8085 to the rebuke ^H1606 of a wise ^H2450 man ^H2450

Than ^H4480 for one ^H376 to listen ^H8085 to the song ^H7892 of fools ^H3684.

6 For as the crackling sound ^H6963 of thorn ^H5518 bushes ^H5518 under ^H8478 a pot ^H5518,

So ^H3651 is the laughter ^H7814 of the fool ^H3684;

And this ^H2088 too ^H1571 is vanity ^H1892.

7 For oppression ^H6233 gives ^H1984 a wise ^H2450 man ^H2450 over to madness ^H1984,

And a bribe ^H4979 [fn]destroys ^H6 the heart ^H3820.

8 Better ^H2896 is the end ^H319 of a matter ^H1697 than ^H4480 its beginning ^H7225;

Better ^H2896 is patience ^H750 of spirit ^H7307 than ^H4480 haughtiness ^H1364 of spirit ^H7307.

9 Do not be [fn]eager ^H926 in your spirit ^H7307 to be vexed ^H3707,

For vexation ^H3708 rests ^H5117 in the bosom ^H2436 of fools ^H3684.

10 Do not say ^H559, “Why ^H4100 is it that the former ^H7223 days ^H3117 were better ^H2896 than ^H4480 these ^H428?”

For it is not from wisdom ^H2451 that you ask ^H7592 about ^H5921 this ^H2088.

11 Wisdom ^H2451 along ^H5973 with ^H5973 an inheritance ^H5159 is good ^H2896

And an advantage ^H3148 to those who see ^H7200 the sun ^H8121.

12 For wisdom ^H2451 is a shadow ^H6738 of protection as money ^H3701 is a shadow ^H6738 of protection,

And the advantage ^H3504 of knowledge ^H1847 is that wisdom ^H2451 preserves ^H2421 the lives ^H2421 of its masters ^H1167.

13 See ^H7200 the work ^H4639 of God ^H430,

For who ^H4310 is ^H3201 able ^H3201 to straighten ^H8626 what ^H834 He has bent ^H5791?

14 In the day ^H3117 when there is good ^H2896 be of good ^H2896 cheer ^H2896,

But in the day ^H3117 when there is evil ^H7451 see ^H7200—

God ^H430 has made ^H6213 the one ^H2088 as well ^H5980 as the other ^H2088

So ^H5921 H1700 that man ^H120 will not find ^H4672 out ^H4672 anything ^H3972 that will be after ^H310 him.

15 I have seen ^H7200 everything ^H3605 during my days ^H3117 of vanity ^H1892; there ^H3426 is ^H3426 a righteous ^H6662 man ^H6662 who perishes ^H6 in his righteousness ^H6664, and there ^H3426 is ^H3426 a wicked ^H7563 man ^H7563 who prolongs ^H748 his life in his evildoing ^H7451.

16 Do not be excessively ^H7235 righteous ^H6662, and do not be ^H2449 overly ^H3148 wise ^H2449. Why ^H4100 should you make ^H8074 yourself desolate ^H8074? 17 Do not be ^H7561 excessively ^H7235 wicked ^H7561, and do not be a simpleminded ^H5530 fool ^H5530. Why ^H4100 should you die ^H4191 before ^H3808 your time ^H6256? 18 It is good ^H2896 that you seize ^H270 one ^H2088 thing ^H2088 and also ^H1571 not [fn]let ^H5117 H3027 go ^H5117 H3027 of the other ^H2088; for the one who fears ^H3372 God ^H430 comes ^H3318 forth ^H3318 with [fn]both ^H3605 of them.

19 Wisdom ^H2451 strengthens ^H5810 a wise ^H2450 man ^H2450 more ^H4480 than ^H4480 ten ^H6235 men with power ^H7989 who ^H834 are in a city ^H5892. 20 Indeed ^H3588, there ^H369 is ^H369 not ^H369 a righteous ^H6662 man ^H120 on earth ^H776 who ^H834 continually does ^H6213 good ^H2896 and who never ^H3808 sins ^H2398. 21 Also ^H1571, do not give ^H5414 your heart ^H3820 to all ^H3605 words ^H1697 which ^H834 are spoken ^H1696, so ^H834 that you will not hear ^H8085 your slave ^H5650 cursing ^H7043 you. 22 For your heart ^H3820 also ^H1571 knows ^H3045 that you likewise ^H1571 have many ^H7227 times ^H6471 cursed ^H7043 others ^H312.

23 I tested ^H5254 all ^H3605 this ^H2090 with wisdom ^H2451, and I said ^H559, “I will be ^H2449 wise ^H2449,” but it was far ^H7350 from me. 24 What ^H4100 has been ^H1961 is far ^H7350 away ^H7350 and exceedingly ^H6013 deep ^H6013. Who ^H4310 can find ^H4672 it? 25 I turned ^H5437 my heart ^H3820 to know ^H3045, to explore ^H8446, and to seek ^H1245 wisdom ^H2451 and an explanation ^H2808, and to know ^H3045 the wickedness ^H7562 of foolishness ^H3689 and the simpleminded ^H5531 folly ^H5531 of madness ^H1947. 26 And I found ^H4672 more ^H4480 bitter ^H4751 than ^H4480 death ^H4194 the woman ^H802 whose ^H834 heart ^H3820 is snares ^H4685 and nets ^H2764, whose hands ^H3027 are chains ^H612. One ^H2896 who is good ^H2896 before God ^H430 will escape ^H4422 from her, but the sinner ^H2398 will be captured ^H3920 by her.

27 “See ^H7200, I have found ^H4672 this ^H2088,” says ^H559 the Preacher ^H6953, “adding one ^H259 thing ^H259 to another ^H259 to find ^H4672 an explanation ^H2808, 28 which ^H834 my soul ^H5315 still ^H5750 seeks ^H1245 but has not found ^H4672. I have found ^H4672 one ^H259 man ^H120 out ^H4480 of a thousand ^H505, but I have not found ^H4672 a woman ^H802 among all ^H3605 these ^H428. 29 See ^H7200, I have found ^H4672 only ^H905 this ^H2088, that God ^H430 made ^H6213 men ^H120 upright ^H3477, but they have sought ^H1245 out ^H1245 many ^H7227 devices ^H2810.”