Ecclesiastes 7
New King James Version
The Value of Practical Wisdom
7 A (A)good name is better than precious ointment,
And the day of death than the day of one’s (B)birth;
2 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 will take it to (C)heart.
3 [a]Sorrow is better than laughter,
(D)For by a sad countenance the heart is made [b]better.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 (E)It is better to [c]hear the rebuke of the wise
Than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 (F)For like the [d]crackling of thorns under a pot,
So is the laughter of the fool.
This also is vanity.
7 Surely oppression destroys a wise man’s reason,
(G)And a bribe [e]debases the heart.
8 The end of a thing is better than its beginning;
(H)The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 (I)Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry,
For anger rests in the bosom of fools.
10 Do not say,
“Why were the former days better than these?”
For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.
11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance,
And profitable (J)to those who see the sun.
12 For wisdom is [f]a (K)defense as money is a defense,
But the [g]excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives (L)life to those who have it.
13 Consider the work of God;
For (M)who can make straight what He has made crooked?
14 (N)In the day of prosperity be joyful,
But in the day of adversity consider:
Surely God has appointed the one [h]as well as the other,
So that man can find out nothing that will come after him.
15 I have seen everything in my days of vanity:
(O)There is a just man who perishes in his righteousness,
And there is a wicked man who prolongs life in his wickedness.
16 (P)Do not be overly righteous,
(Q)Nor be overly wise:
Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Do not be overly wicked,
Nor be foolish:
(R)Why should you die before your time?
18 It is good that you grasp this,
And also not remove your hand from the other;
For he who (S)fears God will [i]escape them all.
19 (T)Wisdom strengthens the wise
More than ten rulers of the city.
20 (U)For there is not a just man on earth who does good
And does not sin.
21 Also do not take to heart everything people say,
Lest you hear your servant cursing you.
22 For many times, also, your own heart has known
That even you have cursed others.
23 All this I have [j]proved by wisdom.
(V)I said, “I will be wise”;
But it was far from me.
24 (W)As for that which is far off and (X)exceedingly deep,
Who can find it out?
25 (Y)I applied my heart to know,
To search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things,
To know the wickedness of folly,
Even of foolishness and madness.
26 (Z)And I find more bitter than death
The woman whose heart is snares and nets,
Whose hands are fetters.
[k]He who pleases God shall escape from her,
But the sinner shall be trapped by her.
27 “Here is what I have found,” says (AA)the Preacher,
“Adding one thing to the other to find out the reason,
28 Which my soul still seeks but I cannot find:
(AB)One man among a thousand I have found,
But a woman among all these I have not found.
29 Truly, this only I have found:
(AC)That God made man upright,
But (AD)they have sought out many schemes.”
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 7:3 Vexation or Grief
- Ecclesiastes 7:3 well or pleasing
- Ecclesiastes 7:5 listen to
- Ecclesiastes 7:6 Lit. sound
- Ecclesiastes 7:7 destroys
- Ecclesiastes 7:12 A protective shade, lit. shadow
- Ecclesiastes 7:12 advantage or profit
- Ecclesiastes 7:14 alongside
- Ecclesiastes 7:18 Lit. come forth from all of them
- Ecclesiastes 7:23 tested
- Ecclesiastes 7:26 Lit. He who is good before God
Predikaren 7
Svenska Folkbibeln
7 1 Ty vem vet vad som är gott för en människa i livet, under de dagar hennes förgängliga liv varar, vilka hon lever som en skugga? Och vem kan säga en människa vad som efter henne kommer att ske under solen?
Levnadsvisdom
2 Bättre ett gott namn än god salva,
och bättre dödens dag än födelsens dag.
3 Bättre gå till sorgehus än till gästabudshus.
Ty det är slutet för alla människor
och den som lever bör ta det till hjärtat.
4 Bättre sorg än skratt,
av plågat ansikte mår hjärtat väl.
5 De visas hjärtan är i sorgens hus,
dårarnas hjärtan i glädjens hus.
6 Bättre höra klander av en vis man
än höra dårars sång.
7 Ty som sprakandet av törne under grytan,
så är dårens skratt.
Också detta är fåfänglighet.
8 Orätt vinning gör den vise till en dåre,
mutor fördärvar hjärtat.
9 Bättre slutet på en sak än dess början,
bättre tålmodig än högmodig.
10 Var inte snar till vrede,
ty vrede bor i dårars bröst.
11 Fråga inte: Hur kommer det sig
att det var bättre förr?
Det är inte av vishet du frågar så.
12 En god sak är vishet tillsammans med arvegods,
en förmån för dem som ser solen.
13 Ty vishetens beskydd är som penningens beskydd.
Men kunskapens företräde
är att visheten ger liv åt den som har den.
14 Se på Guds verk:
Vem kan göra rakt det han har gjort krokigt?
15 Var alltså vid gott mod under den goda dagen
och besinna under den onda dagen,
att den ena såväl som den andra har Gud gjort
för att människan inte skall kunna utforska
det som kommer efter henne.
16 Allt har jag sett under mina förgängliga dagar:
Den rättfärdige går under i sin rättfärdighet,
den ogudaktige lever länge i sin ondska.
17 Var inte alltför rättfärdig
och var inte alltför vis.
Varför skulle du förstöra dig själv?
18 Var inte alltför ogudaktig
och var inte dåraktig.
Varför skulle du dö innan din tid kommer?
19 Det är bäst att du håller fast vid det ena
utan att ändå släppa det andra,
ty den som fruktar Gud
finner en väg ut ur allt detta.
20 Visheten gör den vise starkare
än tio mäktiga i staden.
21 Ty det finns ingen rättfärdig människa på jorden
som gör gott och aldrig syndar.
22 Fäst dig inte vid allt vad människor säger,
så hör du inte att din tjänare förbannar dig.
23 Ditt hjärta vet ju att du själv många gånger har förbannat andra.
24 Allt detta har jag prövat genom vishet.
Jag sade: "Jag vill bli vis."
Men visheten var fjärran från mig.
25 Det som är långt borta
och mycket djupt
vem finner det?
26 Och jag vände mitt hjärta till att lära känna,
utforska och söka vishet och sammanhang.
Jag ville förstå att ogudaktighet är dårskap
och dåraktigheten galenskap.
27 Och jag fann:
Bittrare än döden är den kvinna
vars hjärta är som snaror och nät,
vars händer är som bojor.
Den som är god inför Gud undgår henne,
men syndaren fångas av henne.
28 Se, detta fann jag, säger Predikaren,
när jag lade det ena till det andra
för att få sammanhang,
29 något som min själ ännu söker men inte funnit.
En enda man bland tusen har jag funnit,
men en kvinna bland alla dessa har jag ej funnit.
30 Se, endast detta har jag funnit
att Gud skapade människorna rättsinniga.
Men sedan har de tänkt ut många onda planer.
Ecclesiastes 7
King James Version
7 A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
2 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 will lay it to his heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
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 better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.
8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.
11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.
12 For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
13 Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?
14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.
15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.
16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself ?
17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.
19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.
20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
21 Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:
22 For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
23 All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
24 That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?
25 I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:
26 And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.
27 Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:
28 Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.
29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
1996, 1998 by Stiftelsen Svenska Folkbibeln