| New American Standard Bible 1995 | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1A good name is better than a good ointment, And the day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth. | 1A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of one's death than the day of one's birth. |
| 2It is better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting, Because that is the end of every man, And the living takes it to heart. | 2It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, since that is the end of all mankind, and the living should take it to heart. |
| 3Sorrow is better than laughter, For when a face is sad a heart may be happy. | 3Grief is better than laughter, for when a face is sad, a heart may be glad. |
| 4The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure. | 4The heart of the wise is in a house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in a house of pleasure. |
| 5It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise man Than for one to listen to the song of fools. | 5It is better to listen to rebuke from a wise person than to listen to the song of fools, |
| 6For as the crackling of thorn bushes under a pot, So is the laughter of the fool; And this too is futility. | 6for like the crackling of burning thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile. |
| 7For oppression makes a wise man mad, And a bribe corrupts the heart. | 7Surely, the practice of extortion turns a wise person into a fool, and a bribe destroys the mind. |
| 8The end of a matter is better than its beginning; Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit. | 8The end of a matter is better than its beginning; a patient spirit is better than a proud spirit. |
| 9Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, For anger resides in the bosom of fools. | 9Don't let your spirit rush to be angry, for anger abides in the heart of fools. |
| 10Do not say, "Why is it that the former days were better than these?" For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this. | 10Don't say, "Why were the former days better than these?" since it is not wise of you to ask this. |
| 11Wisdom along with an inheritance is good And an advantage to those who see the sun. | 11Wisdom is as good as an inheritance and an advantage to those who see the sun, |
| 12For wisdom is protection just as money is protection, But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors. | 12because wisdom is protection as money is protection, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner. |
| 13Consider the work of God, For who is able to straighten what He has bent? | 13Consider the work of God, for who can straighten out what He has made crooked? |
| 14In the day of prosperity be happy, But in the day of adversity consider-- God has made the one as well as the other So that man will not discover anything that will be after him. | 14In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man cannot discover anything that will come after him. |
| 15I have seen everything during my lifetime of futility; there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness. | 15In my futile life I have seen everything: there is a righteous man who perishes in spite of his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in spite of his evil. |
| 16Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself? | 16Don't be excessively righteous, and don't be overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself? |
| 17Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time? | 17Don't be excessively wicked, and don't be foolish. Why should you die before your time? |
| 18It is good that you grasp one thing and also not let go of the other; for the one who fears God comes forth with both of them. | 18It is good that you grasp the one and do not let the other slip from your hand. For the one who fears God will end up with both of them. |
| 19Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city. | 19Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers of a city. |
| 20Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins. | 20There is certainly no righteous man on the earth who does good and never sins. |
| 21Also, do not take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you. | 21Don't pay attention to everything people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you, |
| 22For you also have realized that you likewise have many times cursed others. | 22for you know that many times you yourself have cursed others. |
| 23I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, "I will be wise," but it was far from me. | 23I have tested all this by wisdom. I resolved, "I will be wise," but it was beyond me. |
| 24What has been is remote and exceedingly mysterious. Who can discover it? | 24What exists is beyond reach and very deep. Who can discover it? |
| 25I directed my mind to know, to investigate and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the evil of folly and the foolishness of madness. | 25I turned my thoughts to know, explore, and seek wisdom and an explanation for things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity and folly is madness. |
| 26And I discovered more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are chains. One who is pleasing to God will escape from her, but the sinner will be captured by her. | 26And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a trap, her heart a net, and her hands chains. The one who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner will be captured by her. " |
| 27"Behold, I have discovered this," says the Preacher, "adding one thing to another to find an explanation, | 27Look," says the Teacher, "I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find out the explanation, |
| 28which I am still seeking but have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all these. | 28which my soul continually searches for but does not find: among a thousand people I have found one true man, but among all these I have not found a true woman. |
| 29"Behold, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices." | 29Only see this: I have discovered that God made people upright, but they pursued many schemes." |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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