| New King James Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1A good name is better than precious ointment, And the day of death than the day of one’s birth; | 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. |
| 2Better 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 take it to heart. | 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. |
| 3Sorrow is better than laughter, For by a sad countenance the heart is made better. | 3Sorrow is better than laughter, For when a face is sad a heart may be happy. |
| 4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. | 4The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure. |
| 5It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise Than for a man to hear the song of fools. | 5It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise man Than for one to listen to the song of fools. |
| 6For like the crackling of thorns under a pot, So is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity. | 6For as the crackling of thorn bushes under a pot, So is the laughter of the fool; And this too is futility. |
| 7Surely oppression destroys a wise man’s reason, And a bribe debases the heart. | 7For oppression makes a wise man mad, And a bribe corrupts the heart. |
| 8The end of a thing is better than its beginning; The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. | 8The end of a matter is better than its beginning; Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit. |
| 9Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, For anger rests in the bosom of fools. | 9Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, For anger resides in the bosom of fools. |
| 10Do not say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not inquire wisely concerning this. | 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. |
| 11Wisdom is good with an inheritance, And profitable to those who see the sun. | 11Wisdom along with an inheritance is good And an advantage to those who see the sun. |
| 12For wisdom is a defense as money is a defense, But the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it. | 12For wisdom is protection just as money is protection, But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors. |
| 13Consider the work of God; For who can make straight what He has made crooked? | 13Consider the work of God, For who is able to straighten what He has bent? |
| 14In the day of prosperity be joyful, But in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, So that man can find out nothing that will come after him. | 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. |
| 15I have seen everything in my days of vanity: There is a just man who perishes in his righteousness, And there is a wicked man who prolongs life in his wickedness. | 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. |
| 16Do not be overly righteous, Nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself? | 16Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself? |
| 17Do not be overly wicked, Nor be foolish: 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 grasp this, And also not remove your hand from the other; For he who fears God will escape them all. | 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. |
| 19Wisdom strengthens the wise More than ten rulers of the city. | 19Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city. |
| 20For there is not a just man on earth who does good And does not sin. | 20Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins. |
| 21Also do not take to heart everything people say, Lest you hear your servant cursing you. | 21Also, do not take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you. |
| 22For many times, also, your own heart has known That even you have cursed others. | 22For you also have realized that you likewise have many times cursed others. |
| 23All this I have proved by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise”; But it was far from me. | 23I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, "I will be wise," but it was far from me. |
| 24As for that which is far off and exceedingly deep, Who can find it out? | 24What has been is remote and exceedingly mysterious. Who can discover it? |
| 25I applied my heart to know, To search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things, To know the wickedness of folly, Even of foolishness and madness. | 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. |
| 26And I find more bitter than death The woman whose heart is snares and nets, Whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God shall escape from her, But the sinner shall be trapped by her. | 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. |
| 27“Here is what I have found,” says the Preacher, “Adding one thing to the other to find out the reason, | 27"Behold, I have discovered this," says the Preacher, "adding one thing to another to find an explanation, |
| 28Which my soul still seeks but I cannot find: One man among a thousand I have found, But a woman among all these I have not found. | 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. |
| 29Truly, this only I have found: That God made man upright, But they have sought out many schemes.” | 29"Behold, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices." |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | 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 |
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