| New American Standard Bible 1995 | New International Version |
| 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 death better than the day of 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, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart. |
| 3Sorrow is better than laughter, For when a face is sad a heart may be happy. | 3Frustration is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. |
| 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 the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the 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 heed the rebuke of 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. | 6Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless. |
| 7For oppression makes a wise man mad, 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 its beginning; Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit. | 8The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. |
| 9Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, For anger resides in the bosom of fools. | 9Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap 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. | 10Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these?" For it is not wise to ask such questions. |
| 11Wisdom along with an inheritance is good And an advantage to those who see the sun. | 11Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits 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. | 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, For who is able to straighten what He has bent? | 13Consider what God has done: Who can straighten 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. | 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. |
| 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 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 excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin 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 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 to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes. |
| 19Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city. | 19Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful than ten rulers in a city. |
| 20Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins. | 20Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins. |
| 21Also, do not take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you. | 21Do not pay attention to every word 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 in your heart 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. | 23All this I tested by wisdom and I said, "I am determined to be wise"-- but this was beyond me. |
| 24What has been is remote and exceedingly mysterious. Who can discover it? | 24Whatever exists is far off and most profound-- 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. | 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 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. | 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, I have discovered this," says the Preacher, "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-- |
| 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. | 28while I was still searching but not finding-- I found one upright man among a thousand, but not one upright woman among them all. |
| 29"Behold, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices." | 29This only have I found: God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of 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 | 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. |
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