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Eclesiastés 7
La Palabra (España)
Eclesiastés 7
La Palabra (España)
Paradojas y contrastes
7 Más vale buen nombre que buen perfume,
y el día de la muerte más que el día del nacimiento.
2 Mejor ir a un duelo que a una fiesta,
porque en duelo acaba toda vida humana,
y el que aún vive debe tenerlo en cuenta.
3 Más vale pena que risa,
pues tras un cara triste hay un corazón feliz.
4 Los sabios piensan en la muerte,
los necios en la diversión.
5 Más vale oír reprensión de sabio
que escuchar coplas de necios;
6 como crepitar de cardos bajo la olla
así es la risa del necio;
y esto también es vana ilusión.
7 La violencia ofusca al sabio
y el soborno pervierte la conciencia.
8 Más vale el final que el comienzo,
más vale paciencia que arrogancia.
9 No te dejes llevar por la cólera,
pues la cólera habita dentro del necio.
10 No te preguntes por qué
cualquier tiempo pasado fue mejor,
pues esa no es pregunta de sabios.
11 Mucho vale sabiduría con hacienda
y aprovecha a todos los que viven;
12 porque sabiduría y riqueza
dan la misma sombra;
la ventaja de la sabiduría
es que da vida a sus dueños.
13 Observa la obra de Dios:
¿quién podrá enderezar lo que él torció?
14 En día de felicidad, sé feliz;
en día de adversidad, reflexiona;
uno y otro los ha hecho Dios
para que nadie descubra su futuro.
Justos y malvados
15 He visto de todo en mis días ilusos:
gente honrada que perece en su honradez
y gente mala que perdura en su maldad.
16 No seas demasiado honrado,
ni te hagas sabio en exceso;
¿por qué causar tu propia ruina?
17 No seas demasiado malo,
ni seas insensato;
¿por qué morir antes de tu hora?
18 Bueno es tener en cuenta
las dos cosas,
pues el que respeta a Dios
de todo sale bien parado.
19 La sabiduría hace al sabio más fuerte
que diez gobernadores de una ciudad.
20 No hay nadie tan honrado en la tierra
que haga el bien sin pecar nunca.
21 No hagas caso de todo lo que se dice,
y no tendrás que oír que tu siervo te critica;
22 pues bien sabes que muchas veces
también tú has criticado a otros.
23 Todo esto lo he investigado con sabiduría pensando llegar a sabio, pero estaba lejos de mi alcance. 24 Cuanto existe es remoto y muy profundo: ¿quién podrá descubrirlo?
La mujer
25 Me dediqué a conocer, examinar y buscar sabiduría y perspicacia, para reconocer que la maldad es necedad, y la insensatez, locura. 26 Y he descubierto que la mujer es más amarga que la muerte: es, en efecto, una trampa, su corazón un lazo y sus brazos cadenas. El que agrada a Dios se libra de ella, pero el pecador queda atrapado en sus redes. 27 Mira, esto he descubierto —dice Cohélet— después de analizar caso por caso:
28 aunque, no encontré;
si hallé a un hombre entre mil,
mujer no encontré ninguna.
29 Mira lo único que he averiguado: Dios hizo al ser humano perfecto, pero ellos se buscaron excesivas complicaciones.
Ecclesiastes 7
International Standard Version
Ecclesiastes 7
International Standard Version
Lessons for Life
7 A good name exceeds the value of fine perfume,
and the day of someone’s death exceeds the value of[a] the day of his birth.
2 It’s better to attend a funeral[b]
than to attend a banquet,[c]
for everyone dies eventually,
and the living will take this to heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter,
because the heart is made better through trouble.
4 For the wise person thinks carefully when in mourning,
but fools focus their thoughts on pleasure.
5 It is better to listen to a wise person’s rebuke
than to listen to the praise[d] of fools.
6 For as thorns burn to heat a pot,
so also is the laughter of the fool—
even this is pointless.
Avoiding the Evils of Life
7 Unjust gain makes the wise foolish,
and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 The conclusion of something is better than its beginning,
and a patient attitude[e] is more valuable than a proud one.[f]
9 Never be in a hurry to become internally angry,
since anger settles down in the lap of fools.
10 Never ask “Why does the past[g] seem so much better than now?”[h]
because this question does not come from wisdom.
11 Wise use of possessions is good;
it brings benefit to the living.[i]
12 Indeed, wisdom gives protection,[j] just like money does,
but it’s better to know that wisdom gives life,
to those who have mastered[k] it.
The Works of God
13 Consider the work of God:
Who is able to straighten
what he has bent?
14 When times are good, be joyful;
when times are bad, consider this:
God made the one as well as the other,
so people won’t seek anything outside of his best.
15 I have seen it all[l] during my pointless life:
both a righteous person who dies
while he is righteous,
and a wicked person who lives to an old age,
while remaining wicked.[m]
Practical Wisdom
16 Do not be overly righteous,
nor be overly wise.
Why be self-destructive?
17 Do not excel at wickedness,
nor be a fool.
Why die before your time?
18 It is good for you to grab hold of this and not let go,
because whoever fears God will escape
all of these extremes.[n]
19 Wisdom given as strength to a wise person
is better than having ten powerful men in the city.
20 For there is not a single righteous man on earth
who practices good and does not sin.
21 Don’t listen to everything that is spoken—
you may hear your servant cursing you,
22 since you also know how often
you have cursed others.
23 I used my wisdom to test all of this.
I said, “I want to be wise,”
but it was beyond me.
24 Whatever it is,
it’s far off and most profound.
Who can attain it?
25 I committed myself to understand,
to learn, to search for wisdom and explanations,
and to understand both the evil that is foolishness
and the stupidity that is delusion.
26 I discovered for myself a bitterness
that surpasses that of death:
the woman whose heart is full of[o] snares and nets,
whose hands are chains of bondage.
Whoever pleases God will escape from her,
but the transgressor will be trapped by her.
27 “Look at this,” says the Teacher. “Linking one thing to another, I reached this conclusion:
28 Among the things I seek but have not found:
one man among a thousand I did find,
but I have not found one woman to be wise[p] among all these.
29 I have discovered only this:
God made human beings for righteousness,
but they seek many alternatives.”
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 7:1 Lit. death than
- Ecclesiastes 7:2 Lit. house of mourning
- Ecclesiastes 7:2 Lit. house of feasting
- Ecclesiastes 7:5 Lit. song
- Ecclesiastes 7:8 Lit. spirit
- Ecclesiastes 7:8 Lit. spirit
- Ecclesiastes 7:10 Lit. the former days
- Ecclesiastes 7:10 Lit. than these
- Ecclesiastes 7:11 Lit. to those who see the sun
- Ecclesiastes 7:12 Or shade
- Ecclesiastes 7:12 Or acquired
- Ecclesiastes 7:15 Lit. seen in pointlessness
- Ecclesiastes 7:15 Lit. lives long in his evil
- Ecclesiastes 7:18 The Heb. lacks extremes
- Ecclesiastes 7:26 The Heb. lacks full of
- Ecclesiastes 7:28 The Heb. lacks to be wise
Ecclesiastes 7
New International Version
Ecclesiastes 7
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.”
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 7:18 Or will follow them both
- Ecclesiastes 7:27 Or the leader of the assembly
Ecclesiastes 7
King James Version
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.
La Palabra (España) (BLP)
La Palabra, (versión española) © 2010 Texto y Edición, Sociedad Bíblica de España
International Standard Version (ISV) 
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
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.