Ecclesiastes 7 :: New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Wisdom and Foolishness Contrasted

1 A good ^H2896 name ^H8034 is better ^H2896 than ^H4480 good ^H2896 [fn]oil ^H8081,

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

2 It is 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 every ^H3605 person ^H120,

And the living ^H2416 [fn]takes ^H5414 it to [fn]heart ^H3820.

3 Sorrow ^H3708 is better ^H2896 than ^H4480 laughter ^H7814,

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

4 The [fn]mind ^H3820 of the wise ^H2450 is in the house ^H1004 of mourning ^H60,

While the [fn]mind ^H3820 of fools ^H3684 is in the house ^H1004 of pleasure ^H8057.

5 It is better ^H2896 to listen ^H8085 to the rebuke ^H1606 of a wise ^H2450 person ^H2450

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

6 For as the [fn]crackling ^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 futility ^H1892.

7 For oppression ^H6233 makes ^H1984 a wise ^H2450 person ^H2450 look ^H1984 foolish ^H1984,

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

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

Patience ^H750 of spirit ^H7307 is better ^H2896 than ^H4480 arrogance ^H1364 of spirit ^H7307.

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

For anger ^H3708 resides ^H5117 in the [fn]heart ^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 [fn]protection ^H6738 just as money ^H3701 is [fn]protection ^H6738,

But the advantage ^H3504 of knowledge ^H1847 is that wisdom ^H2451 keeps ^H2421 its possessors ^H1167 alive ^H2421.

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

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

14 On the day ^H3117 of prosperity ^H2896 be happy ^H2896,

But on the day ^H3117 of adversity ^H7451 consider ^H7200:

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

So ^H5921 H1700 that ^H5921 H1700 a person ^H120 will not discover ^H4672 anything ^H3972 that will come after ^H310 him.

15 I have seen ^H7200 everything ^H3605 during my [fn]lifetime ^H3117 of futility ^H1892; there ^H3426 is ^H3426 a righteous ^H6662 person ^H6662 who perishes ^H6 in his righteousness ^H6664, and there ^H3426 is ^H3426 a wicked ^H7563 person ^H7563 who prolongs ^H748 his life in his wickedness ^H7451.

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

19 Wisdom ^H2451 strengthens ^H5810 a wise ^H2450 person ^H2450 more ^H4480 than ^H4480 ten ^H6235 rulers ^H7989 who ^H834 are in a city ^H5892. 20 Indeed ^H3588, there ^H369 is ^H369 not ^H369 a righteous ^H6662 person ^H120 on earth ^H776 who ^H834 always does ^H6213 good ^H2896 and does not ever sin ^H2398. 21 Also ^H1571, do not [fn]take ^H5414 seriously ^H3820 all ^H3605 the words ^H1697 which ^H834 are spoken ^H1696, so ^H834 that you do not hear ^H8085 your servant ^H5650 cursing ^H7043 you, 22 for [fn]you know ^H3045 that even ^H1571 you have cursed ^H7043 others ^H312 many ^H7227 times ^H6471 as ^H1571 well ^H1571.

23 I tested ^H5254 all ^H3605 this ^H2090 with wisdom ^H2451, and I said ^H559, “I will be ^H2449 wise ^H2449,” but wisdom was far ^H7350 from me. 24 What ^H4100 has been ^H1961 is remote ^H7350 and very ^H6013 [fn]mysterious ^H6013. Who ^H4310 can discover ^H4672 it? 25 I [fn]directed ^H5437 my [fn]mind ^H3820 to know ^H3045 and to investigate ^H8446, and to seek ^H1245 wisdom ^H2451 and an explanation ^H2808, and to know ^H3045 the evil ^H7562 of foolishness ^H3689 and the foolishness ^H3689 of insanity ^H1947. 26 And I discovered ^H4672 as 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 pleasing ^H2896 to God ^H430 will escape ^H4422 from her, but the sinner ^H2398 will be captured ^H3920 by her.

27 “Behold ^H7200, I have discovered ^H4672 this ^H2088,” says ^H559 the Preacher ^H6953, “by adding one ^H259 thing ^H259 to another ^H259 to find ^H4672 an explanation ^H2808, 28 which ^H834 [fn]I am still ^H5750 seeking ^H1245 but have not found ^H4672. I have found ^H4672 one ^H259 man ^H120 among ^H4480 a thousand ^H505, but I have not found ^H4672 a woman ^H802 among all ^H3605 these ^H428. 29 Behold ^H7200, I have found ^H4672 only ^H905 this ^H2088, that God ^H430 made ^H6213 people ^H120 upright ^H3477, but they have sought ^H1245 out ^H1245 many ^H7227 schemes ^H2810.”