Ecclesiastes 7:15-29

New American Standard Bible 1995

¹⁵ I have seen everything during my ^[a](A)lifetime of futility; there is ^(B)a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness and there is ^(C)a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness. ¹⁶ Do not be excessively ^(D)righteous and do not ^(E)be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself? ¹⁷ Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Why should you ^(F)die before your time? ¹⁸ It is good that you grasp one thing and also not ^[b]let go of the other; for the one who ^(G)fears God comes forth with ^[c]both of them.

^19 (H)Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city. ²⁰ Indeed, ^(I)there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins. ²¹ Also, do not ^[d]take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant ^(J)cursing you. ²² For ^[e]you also have realized that you likewise have many times cursed others.

²³ I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, “I will be wise,” ^(K)but it was far from me. ²⁴ What has been is remote and ^(L)exceedingly ^[f]mysterious. ^(M)Who can discover it? ²⁵ I ^[g](N)directed my ^[h]mind to know, to investigate and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the evil of folly and the foolishness of madness. ²⁶ And I discovered more ^(O)bitter than death the woman whose heart is ^(P)snares and nets, whose hands are chains. ^(Q)One who is pleasing to God will escape from her, but ^(R)the sinner will be captured by her.

²⁷ “Behold, I have discovered this,” says the Preacher, “adding one thing to another to find an explanation, ²⁸ which ^[i]I am still seeking but have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a ^(S)woman among all these. ²⁹ Behold, I have found only this, that ^(T)God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices.”