Font Size
Ecclesiastes 3-5
English Standard Version
Ecclesiastes 3-5
English Standard Version
A Time for Everything
3 For everything there is a season, and (A)a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to (B)die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to (C)weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to (D)dance;
5 a time to (E)cast away stones, and a time to (F)gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to (G)refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to (H)lose;
a time to keep, and a time to (I)cast away;
7 a time to (J)tear, and a time to sew;
a time to (K)keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to (L)hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
The God-Given Task
9 What (M)gain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen (N)the business that (O)God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has (P)made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot (Q)find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I perceived that there is (R)nothing better for them than to be joyful and to (S)do good as long as they live; 13 also (T)that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is (U)God's gift to man.
14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; (V)nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. 15 That which is, (W)already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God (X)seeks what has been driven away.[a]
From Dust to Dust
16 Moreover, (Y)I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even (Z)there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. 17 I said in my heart, (AA)God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is (AB)a time for every matter and for every work. 18 I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but (AC)beasts. 19 (AD)For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity.[b] 20 All go to one place. All are from (AE)the dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows whether (AF)the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? 22 So I saw that there is (AG)nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for (AH)that is his lot. Who can bring him to see (AI)what will be after him?
Evil Under the Sun
4 (AJ)Again I (AK)saw all (AL)the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had (AM)no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them. 2 And I (AN)thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. 3 But (AO)better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
4 Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is (AP)vanity[c] and a striving after wind.
5 The fool (AQ)folds his hands and (AR)eats his own flesh.
6 (AS)Better is a handful of (AT)quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.
7 (AU)Again, I saw vanity under the sun: 8 one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his (AV)eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, (AW)“For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy (AX)business.
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, (AY)but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
13 Better was (AZ)a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how (BA)to take advice. 14 For he went (BB)from prison to the throne, though in his own kingdom he had been born poor. 15 I saw all the living who move about under the sun, along with that[d] youth who was to stand in the king's[e] place. 16 There was no end of all the people, all of whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is (BC)vanity and a striving after wind.
Fear God
5 [f] (BD)Guard your steps when you go to (BE)the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to (BF)offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 [g] Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore (BG)let your words be few. 3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with (BH)many words.
4 When (BI)you vow a vow to God, (BJ)do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. (BK)Pay what you vow. 5 (BL)It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Let not your mouth lead you[h] into sin, and do not say before (BM)the messenger[i] that it was (BN)a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity;[j] but[k] (BO)God is the one you must fear.
The Vanity of Wealth and Honor
8 (BP)If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, (BQ)do not be amazed at the matter, (BR)for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. 9 But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.[l]
10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? 12 Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.
13 (BS)There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, 14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. 15 (BT)As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. 16 This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what (BU)gain is there to him who (BV)toils for the wind? 17 Moreover, all his days he (BW)eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.
18 Behold, what I have seen to be (BX)good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment[m] in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his (BY)lot. 19 Everyone also to whom (BZ)God has given (CA)wealth and possessions (CB)and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is (CC)the gift of God. 20 For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 3:15 Hebrew what has been pursued
- Ecclesiastes 3:19 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)
- Ecclesiastes 4:4 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verses 7, 8, 16 (see note on 1:2)
- Ecclesiastes 4:15 Hebrew the second
- Ecclesiastes 4:15 Hebrew his
- Ecclesiastes 5:1 Ch 4:17 in Hebrew
- Ecclesiastes 5:2 Ch 5:1 in Hebrew
- Ecclesiastes 5:6 Hebrew your flesh
- Ecclesiastes 5:6 Or angel
- Ecclesiastes 5:7 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verse 10 (see note on 1:2)
- Ecclesiastes 5:7 Or For when dreams and vanities increase, words also grow many; but
- Ecclesiastes 5:9 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain
- Ecclesiastes 5:18 Or and see good
Ecclesiastes 3-5
New International Version
Ecclesiastes 3-5
New International Version
A Time for Everything
3 There is a time(A) for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,(B)
3 a time to kill(C) and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent(D) and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What do workers gain from their toil?(E) 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.(F) 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time.(G) He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet[a] no one can fathom(H) what God has done from beginning to end.(I) 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink,(J) and find satisfaction(K) in all their toil—this is the gift of God.(L) 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.(M)
15 Whatever is has already been,(N)
and what will be has been before;(O)
and God will call the past to account.[b]
16 And I saw something else under the sun:
In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
in the place of justice—wickedness was there.
17 I said to myself,
“God will bring into judgment(P)
both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
a time to judge every deed.”(Q)
18 I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.(R) 19 Surely the fate of human beings(S) is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath[c]; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.(T) 21 Who knows if the human spirit rises upward(U) and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”
22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work,(V) because that is their lot.(W) For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?
Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness
4 Again I looked and saw all the oppression(X) that was taking place under the sun:
I saw the tears of the oppressed—
and they have no comforter;
power was on the side of their oppressors—
and they have no comforter.(Y)
2 And I declared that the dead,(Z)
who had already died,
are happier than the living,
who are still alive.(AA)
3 But better than both
is the one who has never been born,(AB)
who has not seen the evil
that is done under the sun.(AC)
4 And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.(AD)
5 Fools fold their hands(AE)
and ruin themselves.
6 Better one handful with tranquillity
than two handfuls with toil(AF)
and chasing after the wind.
7 Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:
8 There was a man all alone;
he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
yet his eyes were not content(AG) with his wealth.
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
“and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”
This too is meaningless—
a miserable business!
9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Advancement Is Meaningless
13 Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. 14 The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. 15 I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. 16 There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Fulfill Your Vow to God
5 [d]Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
2 Do not be quick with your mouth,
do not be hasty in your heart
to utter anything before God.(AH)
God is in heaven
and you are on earth,
so let your words be few.(AI)
3 A dream(AJ) comes when there are many cares,
and many words mark the speech of a fool.(AK)
4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it.(AL) He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.(AM) 5 It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.(AN) 6 Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? 7 Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.(AO)
Riches Are Meaningless
8 If you see the poor oppressed(AP) in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. 9 The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.
10 Whoever loves money never has enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
This too is meaningless.
11 As goods increase,
so do those who consume them.
And what benefit are they to the owners
except to feast their eyes on them?
12 The sleep of a laborer is sweet,
whether they eat little or much,
but as for the rich, their abundance
permits them no sleep.(AQ)
13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:(AR)
wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,
14 or wealth lost through some misfortune,
so that when they have children
there is nothing left for them to inherit.
15 Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb,
and as everyone comes, so they depart.(AS)
They take nothing from their toil(AT)
that they can carry in their hands.(AU)
16 This too is a grievous evil:
As everyone comes, so they depart,
and what do they gain,
since they toil for the wind?(AV)
17 All their days they eat in darkness,
with great frustration, affliction and anger.
18 This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink(AW) and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor(AX) under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. 19 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions,(AY) and the ability to enjoy them,(AZ) to accept their lot(BA) and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.(BB) 20 They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.(BC)
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 3:11 Or also placed ignorance in the human heart, so that
- Ecclesiastes 3:15 Or God calls back the past
- Ecclesiastes 3:19 Or spirit
- Ecclesiastes 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1 is numbered 4:17, and 5:2-20 is numbered 5:1-19.
Ecclesiastes 7-10
English Standard Version
Ecclesiastes 7-10
English Standard Version
The Contrast of Wisdom and Folly
7 (A)A good name is better than precious ointment,
and (B)the day of death than the day of birth.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning
than to go to the house of feasting,
for this is the end of all mankind,
and the living will (C)lay it to heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter,
(D)for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 It is (E)better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise
than to hear the song of fools.
6 (F)For as the crackling of (G)thorns under a pot,
so is the laughter of the fools;
this also is vanity.[a]
7 Surely (H)oppression drives the wise into madness,
and (I)a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning,
and (J)the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 (K)Be not quick in your spirit to become angry,
(L)for anger lodges in the heart[b] of fools.
10 Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?”
For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.
11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance,
an advantage to those who (M)see the sun.
12 For the protection of wisdom is like (N)the protection of money,
and the advantage of knowledge is that (O)wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
13 Consider (P)the work of God:
(Q)who can make straight what he has made crooked?
14 (R)In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, (S)so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.
15 In my (T)vain[c] life I have seen everything. There is (U)a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who (V)prolongs his life in his evildoing. 16 Be not overly righteous, and do not (W)make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? 17 Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. (X)Why should you die before your time? 18 It is good that you should take hold of (Y)this, and from (Z)that (AA)withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.
19 (AB)Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
20 Surely (AC)there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
21 Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear (AD)your servant cursing you. 22 Your heart knows that (AE)many times you yourself have cursed others.
23 All this I have tested by wisdom. (AF)I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me. 24 That which has been is far off, and (AG)deep, very deep; (AH)who can find it out?
25 (AI)I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness. 26 And I find something more (AJ)bitter than death: (AK)the woman whose heart is (AL)snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but (AM)the sinner is taken by her. 27 Behold, this is what I found, says (AN)the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things— 28 which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. (AO)One man among a thousand I found, but (AP)a woman among all these I have not found. 29 See, this alone I found, that (AQ)God made man upright, but (AR)they have sought out many schemes.
Keep the King's Command
8 Who is like the wise?
And who knows the interpretation of a thing?
(AS)A man's wisdom makes his face shine,
and (AT)the hardness of his face is changed.
2 I say:[d] Keep the king's command, because of (AU)God's oath to him.[e] 3 Be not hasty to (AV)go from his presence. Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases. 4 For the word of the king is supreme, and (AW)who may say to him, “What are you doing?” 5 Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way.[f] 6 For there is a time and a way (AX)for everything, although man's trouble[g] lies heavy on him. 7 For he (AY)does not know what is to be, for (AZ)who can tell him how it will be? 8 No man has power to (BA)retain the spirit, (BB)or power over the day of death. There is no (BC)discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it. 9 (BD)All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt.
Those Who Fear God Will Do Well
10 Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of (BE)the holy place and were (BF)praised[h] in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity.[i] 11 Because (BG)the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, (BH)the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. 12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and (BI)prolongs his life, yet I know that (BJ)it will be well with (BK)those who fear God, because they fear before him. 13 But it will (BL)not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like (BM)a shadow, because he does not fear before God.
Man Cannot Know God's Ways
14 There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people (BN)to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people (BO)to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. 15 And I commend joy, for man (BP)has nothing better under the sun but to (BQ)eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.
16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see (BR)the business that is done on earth, how neither (BS)day nor night do one's eyes see sleep, 17 then I saw all the work of God, that (BT)man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, (BU)he cannot find it out.
Death Comes to All
9 But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, (BV)how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are (BW)in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him. 2 (BX)It is the same for all, since (BY)the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil,[j] to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who (BZ)swears is as he who shuns an oath. 3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that (CA)the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and (CB)madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. 4 But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they will die, but (CC)the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for (CD)the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.
Enjoy Life with the One You Love
7 Go, (CE)eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.
8 (CF)Let your garments be always white. Let not (CG)oil be lacking on your head.
9 Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your (CH)vain[k] life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your (CI)portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, (CJ)do it with your might,[l] (CK)for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.
Wisdom Better Than Folly
11 (CL)Again I saw that under the sun (CM)the race is not to the swift, nor (CN)the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and (CO)chance (CP)happen to them all. 12 For man (CQ)does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and (CR)like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are (CS)snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.
13 I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. 14 There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. 15 But there was found in it (CT)a poor, wise man, and he by his (CU)wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. 16 But I say that (CV)wisdom is better than might, though (CW)the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.
17 The words of the wise heard in (CX)quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. 18 (CY)Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but (CZ)one sinner destroys much good.
10 Dead flies make (DA)the perfumer's ointment give off a stench;
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2 (DB)A wise man's heart inclines him to the right,
but a fool's heart to the left.
3 Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense,
and he (DC)says to everyone that he is a fool.
4 If the anger of the ruler rises against you, (DD)do not leave your place,
(DE)for calmness[m] will lay great offenses to rest.
5 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were (DF)an error proceeding from the ruler: 6 (DG)folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place. 7 (DH)I have seen slaves (DI)on horses, and princes walking on the ground like slaves.
8 He who (DJ)digs a pit will fall into it,
and (DK)a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall.
9 (DL)He who quarries stones is hurt by them,
and he who (DM)splits logs is endangered by them.
10 If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge,
he must use more strength,
but wisdom helps one to succeed.[n]
11 If the serpent bites before it is (DN)charmed,
there is no advantage to the charmer.
12 The words of a wise man's mouth (DO)win him favor,[o]
but (DP)the lips of a fool consume him.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness,
and the end of his talk is evil madness.
14 (DQ)A fool multiplies words,
though no man knows what is to be,
and who can tell him (DR)what will be after him?
15 The toil of a fool wearies him,
for he does not know (DS)the way to the city.
16 (DT)Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child,
and your princes feast in the morning!
17 Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility,
and your princes feast at the proper time,
for strength, and not for (DU)drunkenness!
18 Through sloth the roof sinks in,
and through indolence the house leaks.
19 Bread is made for laughter,
and (DV)wine gladdens life,
and (DW)money answers everything.
20 Even in your thoughts, (DX)do not curse the king,
nor in your (DY)bedroom curse the rich,
for a bird of the air will carry your voice,
or some winged creature tell the matter.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 7:6 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)
- Ecclesiastes 7:9 Hebrew in the bosom
- Ecclesiastes 7:15 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)
- Ecclesiastes 8:2 Hebrew lacks say
- Ecclesiastes 8:2 Or because of your oath to God
- Ecclesiastes 8:5 Or and judgment
- Ecclesiastes 8:6 Or evil
- Ecclesiastes 8:10 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts forgotten
- Ecclesiastes 8:10 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also twice in verse 14 (see note on 1:2)
- Ecclesiastes 9:2 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew lacks and the evil
- Ecclesiastes 9:9 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)
- Ecclesiastes 9:10 Or finds to do with your might, do it
- Ecclesiastes 10:4 Hebrew healing
- Ecclesiastes 10:10 Or wisdom is an advantage for success
- Ecclesiastes 10:12 Or are gracious
Ecclesiastes 7-10
New International Version
Ecclesiastes 7-10
New International Version
Wisdom
7 A good name is better than fine perfume,(A)
and the day of death better than the day of birth.(B)
2 It is better to go to a house of mourning
than to go to a house of feasting,
for death(C) is the destiny(D) of everyone;
the living should take this to heart.
3 Frustration is better than laughter,(E)
because a sad face is good for the heart.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.(F)
5 It is better to heed the rebuke(G) of a wise person
than to listen to the song of fools.
6 Like the crackling of thorns(H) under the pot,
so is the laughter(I) of fools.
This too is meaningless.
7 Extortion turns a wise person into a fool,
and a bribe(J) corrupts the heart.
8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning,
and patience(K) is better than pride.
9 Do not be quickly provoked(L) in your spirit,
for anger resides in the lap of fools.(M)
10 Do not say, “Why were the old days(N) better than these?”
For it is not wise to ask such questions.
11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing(O)
and benefits those who see the sun.(P)
12 Wisdom is a shelter
as money is a shelter,
but the advantage of knowledge is this:
Wisdom preserves those who have it.
13 Consider what God has done:(Q)
Who can straighten
what he has made crooked?(R)
14 When times are good, be happy;
but when times are bad, consider this:
God has made the one
as well as the other.(S)
Therefore, no one can discover
anything about their future.
15 In this meaningless life(T) of mine I have seen both of these:
the righteous perishing in their righteousness,
and the wicked living long in their wickedness.(U)
16 Do not be overrighteous,
neither be overwise—
why destroy yourself?
17 Do not be overwicked,
and do not be a fool—
why die before your time?(V)
18 It is good to grasp the one
and not let go of the other.
Whoever fears God(W) will avoid all extremes.[a]
20 Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous,(Z)
no one who does what is right and never sins.(AA)
21 Do not pay attention to every word people say,
or you(AB) may hear your servant cursing you—
22 for you know in your heart
that many times you yourself have cursed others.
23 All this I tested by wisdom and I said,
“I am determined to be wise”(AC)—
but this was beyond me.
24 Whatever exists is far off and most profound—
who can discover it?(AD)
25 So I turned my mind to understand,
to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things(AE)
and to understand the stupidity of wickedness
and the madness of folly.(AF)
26 I find more bitter than death
the woman who is a snare,(AG)
whose heart is a trap
and whose hands are chains.
The man who pleases God will escape her,
but the sinner she will ensnare.(AH)
27 “Look,” says the Teacher,[b](AI) “this is what I have discovered:
“Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things—
28 while I was still searching
but not finding—
I found one upright man among a thousand,
but not one upright woman(AJ) among them all.
29 This only have I found:
God created mankind upright,
but they have gone in search of many schemes.”
8 Who is like the wise?
Who knows the explanation of things?
A person’s wisdom brightens their face
and changes its hard appearance.
Obey the King
2 Obey the king’s command, I say, because you took an oath before God. 3 Do not be in a hurry to leave the king’s presence.(AK) Do not stand up for a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases. 4 Since a king’s word is supreme, who can say to him, “What are you doing?(AL)”
5 Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm,
and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.
6 For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter,(AM)
though a person may be weighed down by misery.
7 Since no one knows the future,
who can tell someone else what is to come?
8 As no one has power over the wind to contain it,
so[c] no one has power over the time of their death.
As no one is discharged in time of war,
so wickedness will not release those who practice it.
9 All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is a time when a man lords it over others to his own[d] hurt. 10 Then too, I saw the wicked buried(AN)—those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise[e] in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless.
11 When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong. 12 Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better(AO) with those who fear God,(AP) who are reverent before him.(AQ) 13 Yet because the wicked do not fear God,(AR) it will not go well with them, and their days(AS) will not lengthen like a shadow.
14 There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve.(AT) This too, I say, is meaningless.(AU) 15 So I commend the enjoyment of life(AV), because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink(AW) and be glad.(AX) Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.
16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom(AY) and to observe the labor that is done on earth(AZ)—people getting no sleep day or night— 17 then I saw all that God has done.(BA) No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it.(BB)
A Common Destiny for All
9 So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them.(BC) 2 All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad,[f] the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.
As it is with the good,
so with the sinful;
as it is with those who take oaths,
so with those who are afraid to take them.(BD)
3 This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all.(BE) The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live,(BF) and afterward they join the dead.(BG) 4 Anyone who is among the living has hope[g]—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!
5 For the living know that they will die,
but the dead know nothing;(BH)
they have no further reward,
and even their name(BI) is forgotten.(BJ)
6 Their love, their hate
and their jealousy have long since vanished;
never again will they have a part
in anything that happens under the sun.(BK)
7 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine(BL) with a joyful heart,(BM) for God has already approved what you do. 8 Always be clothed in white,(BN) and always anoint your head with oil. 9 Enjoy life with your wife,(BO) whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot(BP) in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. 10 Whatever(BQ) your hand finds to do, do it with all your might,(BR) for in the realm of the dead,(BS) where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.(BT)
11 I have seen something else under the sun:
The race is not to the swift
or the battle to the strong,(BU)
nor does food come to the wise(BV)
or wealth to the brilliant
or favor to the learned;
but time and chance(BW) happen to them all.(BX)
12 Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come:
As fish are caught in a cruel net,
or birds are taken in a snare,
so people are trapped by evil times(BY)
that fall unexpectedly upon them.(BZ)
Wisdom Better Than Folly
13 I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom(CA) that greatly impressed me: 14 There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it. 15 Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man.(CB) 16 So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.(CC)
17 The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded
than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
18 Wisdom(CD) is better than weapons of war,
but one sinner destroys much good.
10 As dead flies give perfume a bad smell,
so a little folly(CE) outweighs wisdom and honor.
2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right,
but the heart of the fool to the left.
3 Even as fools walk along the road,
they lack sense
and show everyone(CF) how stupid they are.
4 If a ruler’s anger rises against you,
do not leave your post;(CG)
calmness can lay great offenses to rest.(CH)
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun,
the sort of error that arises from a ruler:
6 Fools are put in many high positions,(CI)
while the rich occupy the low ones.
7 I have seen slaves on horseback,
while princes go on foot like slaves.(CJ)
8 Whoever digs a pit may fall into it;(CK)
whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.(CL)
9 Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them;
whoever splits logs may be endangered by them.(CM)
10 If the ax is dull
and its edge unsharpened,
more strength is needed,
but skill will bring success.
11 If a snake bites before it is charmed,
the charmer receives no fee.(CN)
12 Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious,(CO)
but fools are consumed by their own lips.(CP)
13 At the beginning their words are folly;
at the end they are wicked madness—
14 and fools multiply words.(CQ)
No one knows what is coming—
who can tell someone else what will happen after them?(CR)
15 The toil of fools wearies them;
they do not know the way to town.
16 Woe to the land whose king was a servant[h](CS)
and whose princes feast in the morning.
17 Blessed is the land whose king is of noble birth
and whose princes eat at a proper time—
for strength and not for drunkenness.(CT)
18 Through laziness, the rafters sag;
because of idle hands, the house leaks.(CU)
19 A feast is made for laughter,
wine(CV) makes life merry,
and money is the answer for everything.
20 Do not revile the king(CW) even in your thoughts,
or curse the rich in your bedroom,
because a bird in the sky may carry your words,
and a bird on the wing may report what you say.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 7:18 Or will follow them both
- Ecclesiastes 7:27 Or the leader of the assembly
- Ecclesiastes 8:8 Or over the human spirit to retain it, / and so
- Ecclesiastes 8:9 Or to their
- Ecclesiastes 8:10 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (Aquila); most Hebrew manuscripts and are forgotten
- Ecclesiastes 9:2 Septuagint (Aquila), Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew does not have and the bad.
- Ecclesiastes 9:4 Or What then is to be chosen? With all who live, there is hope
- Ecclesiastes 10:16 Or king is a child
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.