English Standard Version

Berean Study Bible

1A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth.

1A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.

2It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.

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.

3Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.

3Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance 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 mirth.

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 for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools.

5It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.

6For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fools; this also is vanity.

6For like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.

7Surely oppression drives the wise into madness, and a bribe corrupts the heart.

7Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.

8Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

8The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one.

9Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.

9Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.

10Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.

10Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is unwise of you to ask about this.

11Wisdom is good with an inheritance, an advantage to those who see the sun.

11Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun.

12For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.

12For wisdom, like money, is a shelter, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.

13Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked?

13Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent?

14In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.

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.

15In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing.

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.

16Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

16Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

17Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time?

17Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?

18It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.

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.

19Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.

19Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.

20Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

20Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

21Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you.

21Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you.

22Your heart knows 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 have tested by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me.

23All this I tested by wisdom, saying, “I resolve to be wise.” But it was beyond me.

24That which has been is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out?

24What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it?

25I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness.

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.

26And I find something more bitter than death: the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her.

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.

27Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things—

27“Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation.

28which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found.

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.

29See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

29Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made men upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

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