Ecclesiastes 7:7-12
New American Standard Bible
7 For (A)oppression makes a wise person look foolish,
And a (B)bribe [a]corrupts the heart.
8 The (C)end of a matter is better than its beginning;
(D)Patience of spirit is better than arrogance of spirit.
9 Do not be [b](E)eager in your spirit to be angry,
For anger resides in the [c]heart 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 [d]protection just as money is [e]protection,
But the advantage of knowledge is that (H)wisdom keeps its possessors alive.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 7:7 Lit destroys
- Ecclesiastes 7:9 Lit hasty
- Ecclesiastes 7:9 Lit chest
- Ecclesiastes 7:12 Lit in a shadow
- Ecclesiastes 7:12 Lit in a shadow
Ecclesiastes 7:7-12
Holman Christian Standard Bible
7 Surely, the practice of extortion turns a wise person into a fool,(A)
and a bribe destroys the mind.(B)
8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning;
a patient spirit is better than a proud spirit.(C)
9 Don’t let your spirit rush to be angry,
for anger abides in the heart of fools.(D)
10 Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?”(E)
since it is not wise of you to ask this.
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance
and an advantage to those who see the sun,
12 because wisdom is protection as money is protection,
and the advantage of knowledge
is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.(F)
Ecclesiastes 7:19-26
New American Standard Bible
19 (A)Wisdom strengthens a wise person more than ten rulers who are in a city. 20 Indeed, (B)there is not a righteous person on earth who always does good and does not ever sin. 21 Also, do not [a]take seriously all the words which are spoken, so that you do not hear your servant (C)cursing you, 22 for [b]you know that even you have cursed others many times as well.
23 I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, “I will be wise,” (D)but wisdom was far from me. 24 What has been is remote and (E)very [c]mysterious. (F)Who can discover it? 25 I [d](G)directed my [e]mind to know and to investigate, and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the evil of foolishness and the foolishness of insanity. 26 And I discovered as more (H)bitter than death the woman whose heart is (I)snares and nets, whose hands are chains. (J)One who is pleasing to God will escape from her, but (K)the sinner will be captured by her.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ecclesiastes 7:21 Lit give your heart to
- Ecclesiastes 7:22 Lit your heart knows
- Ecclesiastes 7:24 Lit deep
- Ecclesiastes 7:25 Lit turned about
- Ecclesiastes 7:25 Lit heart
Ecclesiastes 7:19-26
Holman Christian Standard Bible
19 Wisdom makes the wise man stronger
than ten rulers of a city.(A)
20 There is certainly no righteous man on the earth
who does good and never sins.(B)
21 Don’t pay attention[a] to everything people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you,(C) 22 for you know that many times you yourself have cursed others.
What the Teacher Found
23 I have tested all this by wisdom. I resolved, “I will be wise,” but it was beyond me. 24 What exists is beyond reach and very deep.(D) Who can discover it? 25 I turned my thoughts to know, explore, and seek wisdom(E) and an explanation for things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity and folly is madness. 26 And I find more bitter than death(F) the woman who is a trap,(G) her heart a net, and her hands chains. The one who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner will be captured by her.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ecclesiastes 7:21 Lit Don’t give your heart
Ecclesiastes 10:1-11:6
New American Standard Bible
A Little Foolishness
10 Dead flies turn a (A)perfumer’s oil rancid, so a little foolishness is more [a]potent than wisdom and honor. 2 A wise person’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish (B)person’s heart directs him toward the left. 3 Even when the fool walks along the road, his [b]sense is lacking, and he [c](C)demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool. 4 If the ruler’s [d]temper rises against you, (D)do not abandon your place, because (E)composure puts great offenses to rest.
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like a mistake that proceeds from the ruler: 6 (F)foolishness is set in many exalted places while the rich sit in humble places. 7 I have seen (G)slaves riding (H)on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land.
8 (I)One who digs a pit may fall into it, and a (J)serpent may bite one who breaks through a wall. 9 One who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and one who splits logs may be endangered by them. 10 If the [e]axe is dull and he does not sharpen its [f]edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of bringing success. 11 If the serpent bites [g](K)before being charmed, there is no benefit for the charmer. 12 (L)Words from the mouth of a wise person are gracious, while the lips of a (M)fool consume him; 13 the beginning of [h]his talking is foolishness, and the end of [i]it is evil (N)insanity. 14 Yet the (O)fool multiplies words. No person knows what will happen, and who can tell him (P)what will come after him? 15 The labor of [j]a fool makes him so weary that he does not even know how to go to a city. 16 Woe to you, land whose (Q)king is a boy, and whose princes [k]feast in the morning. 17 Blessed are you, land whose king is of nobility, and whose princes eat at the appropriate time—for strength and not for (R)drunkenness. 18 Through (S)extreme laziness the rafters sag, and through idleness the house leaks. 19 People prepare a meal for enjoyment, (T)wine makes life joyful, and (U)money [l]is the answer to everything. 20 Furthermore, (V)in your bedroom do not (W)curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich person; for a bird of the sky will bring the sound, and the winged one will make your word known.
Cast Your Bread on the Waters
11 (X)Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you (Y)will find it [m]after many days. 2 (Z)Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what (AA)misfortune may occur on the earth. 3 If the clouds are full, they pour out rain on the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it [n]lies. 4 One who watches the wind will not sow and one who looks at the clouds will not harvest. 5 Just as you do not (AB)know the path of the [o]wind, and (AC)how bones are formed in the womb of the [p]pregnant woman, so you do not (AD)know the activity of God who makes everything.
6 Sow your seed (AE)in the morning and do not [q]be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether [r]one or the other will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 10:1 Lit costly
- Ecclesiastes 10:3 Lit heart
- Ecclesiastes 10:3 Lit says
- Ecclesiastes 10:4 Lit spirit
- Ecclesiastes 10:10 Lit iron
- Ecclesiastes 10:10 Lit faces
- Ecclesiastes 10:11 Lit with no incantation
- Ecclesiastes 10:13 Lit the words of his mouth
- Ecclesiastes 10:13 Lit his mouth
- Ecclesiastes 10:15 Lit fools make
- Ecclesiastes 10:16 Lit eat
- Ecclesiastes 10:19 Lit answers all
- Ecclesiastes 11:1 Lit in, within
- Ecclesiastes 11:3 Lit is
- Ecclesiastes 11:5 Or with many mss spirit into the bones in the womb
- Ecclesiastes 11:5 Lit full
- Ecclesiastes 11:6 Lit let down your hand
- Ecclesiastes 11:6 Lit this or that
Ecclesiastes 10:1-11:6
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Burden of Folly
10 Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil ferment and stink;(A)
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2 A wise man’s heart goes to the[a] right,
but a fool’s heart to the[b] left.
3 Even when the fool walks along the road, his heart lacks sense,
and he shows everyone he is a fool.(B)
4 If the ruler’s anger rises against you, don’t leave your place,(C)
for calmness puts great offenses to rest.(D)
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, an error proceeding from the presence of the ruler:
6 The fool is appointed to great heights,(E)
but the rich remain in lowly positions.
7 I have seen slaves on horses,(F)
but princes walking on the ground like slaves.(G)
8 The one who digs a pit may fall into it,(H)
and the one who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.(I)
9 The one who quarries stones may be hurt by them;
the one who splits trees may be endangered by them.
10 If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen its edge,
then one must exert more strength;
however, the advantage of wisdom is that it brings success.
11 If the snake bites before it is charmed,(J)
then there is no advantage for the charmer.[c]
12 The words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious,(K)
but the lips of a fool consume him.(L)
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly,
but the end of his speaking is evil madness.
14 Yet the fool multiplies words.
No one knows what will happen,
and who can tell anyone what will happen after him?(M)
15 The struggles of fools weary them,
for they don’t know how to go to the city.
16 Woe to you, land, when your king is a youth(N)
and your princes feast in the morning.
17 Blessed are you, land, when your king is a son of nobles
and your princes feast at the proper time—
for strength and not for drunkenness.(O)
18 Because of laziness the roof caves in,
and because of negligent hands the house leaks.
19 A feast is prepared for laughter,
and wine makes life happy,(P)
and money is the answer for everything.(Q)
20 Do not curse the king even in your thoughts,(R)
and do not curse a rich person even in your bedroom,(S)
for a bird of the sky may carry the message,
and a winged creature may report the matter.
Invest in Life
11 Send your bread on the surface of the waters,(T)
for after many days you may find it.
2 Give a portion to seven or even to eight,(U)
for you don’t know what disaster may happen on earth.
3 If the clouds are full, they will pour out rain on the earth;
whether a tree falls to the south or the north,
the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.
4 One who watches the wind will not sow,
and the one who looks at the clouds will not reap.
5 Just as you don’t know the path of the wind,
or how bones develop in[d] the womb of a pregnant woman,
so you don’t know the work of God who makes everything.(V)
6 In the morning sow your seed,
and at evening do not let your hand rest,
because you don’t know which will succeed,
whether one or the other,
or if both of them will be equally good.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 10:2 Lit his
- Ecclesiastes 10:2 Lit his
- Ecclesiastes 10:11 Lit master of the tongue
- Ecclesiastes 11:5 Or know how the life-breath comes to the bones in
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