Ecclesiastes, the Preacher

⭑ Literal Standard Version :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 7 -

The value of wisdom

Better [is] a name than good perfume, || And the day of death than the day of birth.

Better to go to a house of mourning, || Than to go to a house of banqueting, || For that is the end of all men, || And the living lays [it] to his heart.

Better [is] sorrow than laughter, || For by the sadness of the face the heart becomes better.

The heart of the wise [is] in a house of mourning, || And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.

Better to hear a rebuke of a wise man, || Than [for] a man to hear a song of fools,

For as the noise of thorns under the pot, || So [is] the laughter of a fool, even this [is] vanity.

Surely oppression makes the wise mad, || And a gift destroys the heart.

Better [is] the latter end of a thing than its beginning, || Better [is] the patient of spirit, than the haughty of spirit.

Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry, || For anger in the bosom of fools rests.

Do not say, “What was it, || That the former days were better than these?” For you have not asked wisely of this.

Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance, || And an advantage [it is] to those beholding the sun.

For wisdom [is] a defense, money [is] a defense, || And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom [is], || She revives her possessors.

See the work of God, || For who is able to make straight that which He made crooked?

In a day of prosperity be in gladness, || And in a day of calamity consider: God has also made this alongside of that, || To the intent that man does not find anything after him.

The limits of human wisdom

The whole I have considered in the days of my vanity. There is a righteous one perishing in his righteousness, and there is a wrongdoer prolonging [himself] in his wrong.

Do not be over-righteous, nor show yourself too wise, why are you desolate?

Do not do much wrong, neither be a fool, why do you die within your time?

[It is] good that you lay hold on this, and also, do not withdraw your hand from that, for whoever is fearing God goes out with them all.

The wisdom gives strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.

Because there is not a righteous man on earth that does good and does not sin.

Also to all the words that they speak do not give your heart, that you do not hear your servant reviling you.

For many times also has your heart known that you yourself have also reviled others.

All this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, “I am wise,” and it [is] far from me.

Far off [is] that which has been, and deep, deep, who finds it?

I have turned around, also my heart, to know and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and reason, and to know the wrong of folly, and the madness of foolishness.

And I am finding more bitter than death, the woman whose heart [is] nets and snares, her hands [are] bands; the good before God escapes from her, but the sinner is captured by her.

See, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason

(that still my soul had sought, and I had not found), || One man, a teacher, I have found, and a woman among all these I have not found.

See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they have sought out many inventions.

The value of wisdom

A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one’s birth.

It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this to heart.

Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools.

For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.

Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Don’t be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.

Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this.

Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent for those who see the sun.

For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.

Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight which he has made crooked?

In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.

The limits of human wisdom

All this I have seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.

Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

Don’t be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time?

It is good that you should take hold of this. Yes, also don’t withdraw your hand from that; for he who fears God will come out of them all.

Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.

Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and doesn’t sin.

Also don’t take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;

for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.

All this I have proved in wisdom. I said, “I will be wise;” but it was far from me.

That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?

I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.

I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.

“Behold, I have found this,” says the Preacher, “to one another, to find an explanation

which my soul still seeks, but I have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all those.

Behold, I have only found this: that God made mankind upright; but they search for many inventions.”