Ecclesiastes 7:7-12
Legacy Standard Bible
7 For (A)oppression gives a wise man over to madness,
And a (B)bribe [a]destroys the heart.
8 Better is the (C)end of a matter than its beginning;
(D)Better is patience of spirit than haughtiness of spirit.
9 Do not be [b](E)eager in your spirit to be vexed,
For vexation rests in the bosom of fools.
10 Do not say, “Why is it that the former days were better than these?”
For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.
11 Wisdom along with an inheritance is good
And an (F)advantage to those who see the sun.
12 For (G)wisdom is a (H)shadow of protection as money is a shadow of protection,
And the advantage of knowledge is that (I)wisdom preserves the lives of its masters.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 7:7 Lit perishes
- Ecclesiastes 7:9 Lit hasty in your spirit
Ecclesiastes 7:7-12
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
7 Surely oppression makes the wise foolish,
and a bribe corrupts the heart.(A)
8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning;
the patient in spirit are better than the proud in spirit.(B)
9 Do not be quick to anger,
for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.(C)
10 Do not say, “Why were the former days better than these?”
For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance,
an advantage to those who see the sun.(D)
12 For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money,
and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to the one who possesses it.
Ecclesiastes 7:19-26
Legacy Standard Bible
19 (A)Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten men with power who are in a city. 20 Indeed, (B)there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins. 21 Also, do not give your heart to all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your slave (C)cursing you. 22 For your heart also knows that you likewise have many times cursed others.
23 I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, “I will be wise,” (D)but it was far from me. 24 What has been is far away and (E)exceedingly deep. (F)Who can find it? 25 I (G)turned my heart to know, to explore, and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the wickedness of foolishness and the simpleminded folly of madness. 26 And I found more (H)bitter than death the woman whose heart is (I)snares and nets, whose hands are chains. (J)One who is good before God will escape from her, but (K)the sinner will be captured by her.
Read full chapter
Ecclesiastes 7:19-26
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
19 Wisdom gives strength to the wise more than ten rulers who are in a city.(A)
20 Surely there is no one on earth so righteous as to do good without ever sinning.(B)
21 Do not give heed to everything that people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you; 22 your heart knows that many times you have yourself cursed others.
23 All this I have tested by wisdom; I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me.(C) 24 That which is, is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out?(D) 25 I turned my mind to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the sum of things and to know that wickedness is folly and that foolishness is madness.(E) 26 I found more bitter than death the woman who is a trap, whose heart is nets, whose hands are fetters; one who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her.(F)
Read full chapter
Ecclesiastes 10:1-11:6
Legacy Standard Bible
The Folly of a Simpleminded Fool
10 Dead flies make a (A)perfumer’s oil stink, so a little simpleminded folly is weightier than wisdom and honor. 2 A wise man’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish (B)man’s heart directs him toward the left. 3 Even when the simpleminded fool walks along the road, his heart lacks wisdom, and he (C)says to all that he is a simpleminded fool. 4 If the ruler’s [a]temper rises against you, (D)do not abandon your position, because (E)calmness causes great offenses to be abandoned.
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like a mistake which goes forth from the one in power— 6 [b](F)folly is set in many exalted places while rich men sit in humble places. 7 I have seen (G)slaves riding (H)on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land.
8 (I)He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a (J)serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall. 9 He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them. 10 If the [c]axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must [d]exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success. 11 If the serpent bites [e](K)before being charmed, there is no advantage for the charmer. 12 (L)Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, but the lips of a (M)fool swallow him up; 13 the beginning of the words of his mouth is simpleminded folly, and the end of what comes from his mouth is evil (N)madness. 14 Yet the (O)simpleminded fool multiplies words. No man knows what will happen, and who can tell him (P)what will come after him? 15 The labor of [f]a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city. 16 Woe to you, O land, whose (Q)king is a young man and whose princes [g]eat in the morning. 17 Blessed are you, O land, whose king is of nobility and whose princes eat at the appropriate time—for might and not for (R)drinking. 18 Through (S)indolence the beams sag, and through slack hands the house leaks. 19 Men prepare bread for laughter, and (T)wine makes life glad, and (U)money [h]is the answer to everything. 20 Furthermore, (V)in your bedchamber do not (W)curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich man, for a bird of the sky will bring the sound and the winged creature will tell the matter.
Cast Your Bread on the Waters
11 (X)Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you (Y)will find it [i]after many days. 2 (Z)Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what (AA)calamity may occur on the earth. 3 If the clouds are full, they empty the rain upon the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it [j]lies. 4 He who [k]watches the wind will not sow, and he who looks at the clouds will not reap. 5 Just as you do not (AB)know [l]the path of the wind and (AC)how bones are formed in the womb of the [m]pregnant woman, so you do not (AD)know the work of God who works all things.
6 Sow your seed (AE)in the morning and do not put your hands down in the evening, for you do not know whether [n]morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 10:4 Lit spirit
- Ecclesiastes 10:6 Or simpleminded folly, cf. Eccl 1:17; 2:3, 12, 13; 10:1, 13
- Ecclesiastes 10:10 Lit iron
- Ecclesiastes 10:10 Lit strengthen
- Ecclesiastes 10:11 Lit without enchantment
- Ecclesiastes 10:15 Lit fools
- Ecclesiastes 10:16 Or feast
- Ecclesiastes 10:19 Lit answers all
- Ecclesiastes 11:1 Lit in, within
- Ecclesiastes 11:3 Lit is
- Ecclesiastes 11:4 Lit keeps
- Ecclesiastes 11:5 Many mss how the spirit enters the bones in the womb
- Ecclesiastes 11:5 Lit full
- Ecclesiastes 11:6 Lit this or that
Ecclesiastes 10:1-11:6
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Miscellaneous Observations
10 Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a foul odor;[a]
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right,
but the heart of a fool to the left.
3 Even when fools walk on the road, they lack sense
and show to everyone that they are fools.(A)
4 If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your post,
for calmness will undo great offenses.(B)
5 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as great an error as if it proceeded from the ruler: 6 folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place.(C) 7 I have seen slaves on horseback and princes walking on the ground like slaves.
8 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
and whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a snake.(D)
9 Whoever quarries stones will be hurt by them,
and whoever splits logs will be endangered by them.
10 If the iron is blunt and one does not whet the edge,
then more strength must be exerted,
but wisdom helps one to succeed.
11 If the snake bites before it is charmed,
there is no advantage in a charmer.(E)
12 Words spoken by the wise bring them favor,
but the lips of fools consume them.(F)
13 The words of their mouths begin in foolishness,
and their talk ends in wicked madness,(G)
14 yet fools talk on and on.
No one knows what is to happen,
and who can tell anyone what the future holds?(H)
15 The toil of fools wears them out,
for they do not even know the way to town.
16 Alas for you, O land, when your king is a child
and your princes feast in the morning!(I)
17 Happy are you, O land, when your king is a nobleman,
and your princes feast at the proper time—
for strength and not for drunkenness!(J)
18 Through sloth the roof sinks in,
and through indolence the house leaks.(K)
19 Feasts are made for laughter,
wine gladdens life,
and money meets every need.(L)
20 Do not curse the king, even in your thoughts,
or curse the rich, even in your bedroom,
for a bird of the air may carry your voice,
or some winged creature tell the matter.(M)
The Value of Diligence
11 Send out your bread upon the waters,
for after many days you will get it back.(N)
2 Divide your means seven ways, or even eight,
for you do not know what disaster may happen on earth.(O)
3 When clouds are full,
they empty rain on the earth;
whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.
4 Whoever observes the wind will not sow,
and whoever regards the clouds will not reap.
5 Just as you do not know how the breath comes to the bones in the mother’s womb, so you do not know the work of God, who makes everything.(P)
6 In the morning sow your seed, and at evening do not let your hands be idle, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.(Q)
Footnotes
- 10.1 Gk Vg Syr: Meaning of Heb uncertain
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.