1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Ecclesiastes 7

1 Remedies against vanity are, a good name, 2 mortification, 7 patience, 11 wisdom. 23 The difficulty of wisdom.

 7:1 A good 2896a name 8034 is better 2896a than 4480 a good 2896a ointment 8081, And the day 3117 of [one’s] death 4194 is better than 4480 the day 3117 of one’s birth 3205.

 7:2 It is better 2896a to go 1980 to a house 1004 of mourning 60 Than 4480 to go 1980 to a house 1004 of feasting 4960, Because 834 that is the end 5490 of every 3605 man 120, And the living 2416a takes 5414 [it] to heart 3820.

 7:3 Sorrow 3708a is better 2896a than 4480 laughter 7814, For when a face 6440 is sad 7455 a heart 3820 may be happy 3190.

 7:4 The mind 3820 of the wise 2450 is in the house 1004 of mourning 60, While the mind 3820 of fools 3684 is in the house 1004 of pleasure 8057.

 7:5 It is better 2896a to listen 8085 to the rebuke 1606 of a wise 2450 man 2450 Than 4480 for one 376 to listen 8085 to the song 7892a of fools 3684.

 7:6 For as the crackling 6963 of thorn 5518b bushes 5518b under 8478 a pot 5518a, So 3651 is the laughter 7814 of the fool 3684; And this 2088 too 1571 is futility 1892.

 7:7 For oppression 6233 makes 1984b a wise 2450 man 2450 mad 1984b, And a bribe 4979 corrupts 6 the heart 3820.

 7:8 The end 319 of a matter 1697 is better 2896a than 4480 its beginning 7225; Patience 750 of spirit 7307 is better 2896a than 4480 haughtiness 1364 of spirit 7307.

 7:9 Do not be eager 926 in your heart 7307 to be angry 3707, For anger 3708a resides 5117 in the bosom 2436 of fools 3684.

 7:10 Do not say 559, “Why 4100 is it that the former 7223 days 3117 were better 2896a than 4480 these 428?” For it is not from wisdom 2451 that you ask 7592 about 5921 this 2088.

 7:11 Wisdom 2451 along 5973 with an inheritance 5159 is good 2896a And an advantage 3148 to those who see 7200 the sun 8121.

 7:12 For wisdom 2451 is protection 6738 [just as] money 3701 is protection 6738, But the advantage 3504 of knowledge 1847 is that wisdom 2451 preserves 2421a the lives 2421a of its possessors 1167.

 7:13 Consider 7200 the work 4639 of God 430, For who 4310 is able 3201 to straighten 8626 what 834 He has bent 5791?

 7:14 In the day 3117 of prosperity 2899b be happy 2896b, But in the day 3117 of adversity 7463a consider 7200— God 430 has made 6213a the one 2088 as well 5980 as the other 2088 So 5921 1700 that man 120 will not discover 4672 anything 3972 [that will be] after 310 him.

 7:15 ¶ I have seen 7200 everything 3605 during my lifetime 3117 of futility 1892; there 3426 is a righteous 6662 man 6662 who perishes 6 in his righteousness 6664 and there 3426 is a wicked 7563 man 7563 who prolongs 748 [his life] in his wickedness 7463a.

 7:16 Do not be excessively 7235a righteous 6662 and do not be overly 3148 wise 2449. Why 4100 should you ruin 8074 yourself?

 7:17 Do not be excessively 7235a wicked 7561 and do not be a fool 5530. Why 4100 should you die 4191 before 3808 your time 6256?

 7:18 It is good 2896a that you grasp 270 one 2088 thing 2088 and also 1571 not let 5117 3027 go 5117 3027 of the other 2088; for the one who fears 3372a God 430 comes 3318 forth 3318 with both 3605 of them.

 7:19 ¶ Wisdom 2451 strengthens 5810 a wise 2450 man 2450 more 4480 than 4480 ten 6235 rulers 7989 who 834 are in a city 5892b.

 7:20 Indeed 3588, there 369 is not a righteous 6662 man 120 on earth 776 who 834 [continually] does 6213a good 2896b and who never 3808 sins 2398.

 7:21 Also 1571, do not take 5414 seriously 3820 all 3605 words 1697 which 834 are spoken 1696, so 3808 that you will not hear 8085 your servant 5650 cursing 7043 you.

 7:22 For you also 1571 have realized 3045 that you likewise 1571 have many 7227a times 6471 cursed 7043 others 312.

 7:23 ¶ I tested 5254 all 3605 this 2090 with wisdom 2451, [and] I said 559, “I will be wise 2449,” but it was far 7350 from me.

 7:24 What 4100 has been 1961 is remote 7350 and exceedingly 6013 mysterious 6013. Who 4310 can discover 4672 it?

 7:25 I directed 5437 my mind 3820 to know 3045, to investigate 8446 and to seek 1245 wisdom 2451 and an explanation 2808, and to know 3045 the evil 7562 of folly 3689 and the foolishness 3689 of madness 1947.

 7:26 And I discovered 4672 more 4480 bitter 4751 than 4480 death 4194 the woman 802 whose 834 heart 3820 is snares 4685b and nets 2764b, whose hands 3027 are chains 612. One 2896a who 2896a is pleasing 2896a to God 430 will escape 4422 from her, but the sinner 2398 will be captured 3920 by her.

 7:27 ¶ “Behold 7200, I have discovered 4672 this 2088,” says 559 the Preacher 6953, “[adding] one 259 thing 259 to another 259 to find 4672 an explanation 2808,

 7:28 which 834 I am still 5750 seeking 1245 but have not found 4672. I have found 4672 one 259 man 120 among 4480 a thousand 505, but I have not found 4672 a woman 802 among all 3605 these 428.

 7:29 “Behold 7200, I have found 4672 only 905 this 2088, that God 430 made 6213a men 120 upright 3477, but they have sought 1245 out many 7227a devices 2810.”