| King James Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 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 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 that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his 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 the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. | 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 to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man 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 fool: 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 maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth 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 the beginning thereof: 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 hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. | 9Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool. |
| 10Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning 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: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun. | 11Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun. |
| 12For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have 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: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked? | 13Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent? |
| 14In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing 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. |
| 15All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness. | 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 righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? | 16Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? |
| 17Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time? | 17Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time? |
| 18It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all. | 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 strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city. | 19Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city. |
| 20For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. | 20Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. |
| 21Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee: | 21Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you. |
| 22For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others. | 22For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others. |
| 23All this have I proved 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 is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out? | 24What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it? |
| 25I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and 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 more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be 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 have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account: | 27“Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation. |
| 28Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I 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. |
| 29Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions. | 29Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made men upright, but they have sought out many schemes.” |
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