| Berean Study Bible | New International Version |
| 1A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth. | 1A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. |
| 2It is better to enter a house of mourning than a house of feasting, since death is the end of every man, and the living should take this to heart. | 2It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart. |
| 3Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart. | 3Frustration is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. |
| 4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure. | 4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure. |
| 5It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools. | 5It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools. |
| 6For like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile. | 6Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless. |
| 7Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart. | 7Extortion turns a wise person into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart. |
| 8The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one. | 8The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. |
| 9Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool. | 9Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools. |
| 10Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is unwise of you to ask about this. | 10Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these?" For it is not wise to ask such questions. |
| 11Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun. | 11Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun. |
| 12For wisdom, like money, is a shelter, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner. | 12Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it. |
| 13Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent? | 13Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? |
| 14In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider this: God has made one of these along with the other, so that a man cannot discover anything that will come after him. | 14When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future. |
| 15In my futile life I have seen both of these: A righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness. | 15In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: the righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness. |
| 16Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? | 16Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise-- why destroy yourself? |
| 17Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time? | 17Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool-- why die before your time? |
| 18It is good to grasp the one and not let the other slip from your hand. For he who fears God will follow both warnings. | 18It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes. |
| 19Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city. | 19Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful than ten rulers in a city. |
| 20Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. | 20Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins. |
| 21Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you. | 21Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you-- |
| 22For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others. | 22for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others. |
| 23All this I tested by wisdom, saying, “I resolve to be wise.” But it was beyond me. | 23All this I tested by wisdom and I said, "I am determined to be wise"-- but this was beyond me. |
| 24What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it? | 24Whatever exists is far off and most profound-- who can discover it? |
| 25I directed my mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and explanations, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of madness. | 25So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly. |
| 26And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a net, and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is ensnared. | 26I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare. |
| 27“Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation. | 27"Look," says the Teacher, "this is what I have discovered: "Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things-- |
| 28While my soul was still searching but not finding, among a thousand I have found one upright man, but among all these I have not found one such woman. | 28while I was still searching but not finding-- I found one upright man among a thousand, but not one upright woman among them all. |
| 29Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made men upright, but they have sought out many schemes.” | 29This only have I found: God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of many schemes." |
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