| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1A good reputation is better than precious perfume; likewise, the day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth. | 1A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume. And the day you die is better than the day you are born. |
| 2It is better to go to a funeral than a feast. For death is the destiny of every person, and the living should take this to heart. | 2Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies— so the living should take this to heart. |
| 3Sorrow is better than laughter, because sober reflection is good for the heart. | 3Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. |
| 4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of merrymaking. | 4A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time. |
| 5It is better for a person to receive a rebuke from those who are wise than to listen to the song of fools. | 5Better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool. |
| 6For like the crackling of quick-burning thorns under a cooking pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This kind of folly also is useless. | 6A fool’s laughter is quickly gone, like thorns crackling in a fire. This also is meaningless. |
| 7Surely oppression can turn a wise person into a fool; likewise, a bribe corrupts the heart. | 7Extortion turns wise people into fools, and bribes corrupt the heart. |
| 8The end of a matter is better than its beginning; likewise, patience is better than pride. | 8Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride. |
| 9Do not let yourself be quickly provoked, for anger resides in the lap of fools. | 9Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool. |
| 10Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these days?" for it is not wise to ask that. | 10Don’t long for “the good old days.” This is not wise. |
| 11Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing; it benefits those who see the light of day. | 11Wisdom is even better when you have money. Both are a benefit as you go through life. |
| 12For wisdom provides protection, just as money provides protection. But the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves the life of its owner. | 12Wisdom and money can get you almost anything, but only wisdom can save your life. |
| 13Consider the work of God: For who can make straight what he has bent? | 13Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he has made crooked? |
| 14In times of prosperity be joyful, but in times of adversity consider this: God has made one as well as the other, so that no one can discover what the future holds. | 14Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life. The Limits of Human Wisdom |
| 15During the days of my fleeting life I have seen both of these things: Sometimes a righteous person dies prematurely in spite of his righteousness, and sometimes a wicked person lives long in spite of his evil deeds. | 15I have seen everything in this meaningless life, including the death of good young people and the long life of wicked people. |
| 16So do not be excessively righteous or excessively wise; otherwise you might be disappointed. | 16So don’t be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself? |
| 17Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool; otherwise you might die before your time. | 17On the other hand, don’t be too wicked either. Don’t be a fool! Why die before your time? |
| 18It is best to take hold of one warning without letting go of the other warning; for the one who fears God will follow both warnings. | 18Pay attention to these instructions, for anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes. |
| 19Wisdom gives a wise person more protection than ten rulers in a city. | 19One wise person is stronger than ten leading citizens of a town! |
| 20For there is not one truly righteous person on the earth who continually does good and never sins. | 20Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins. |
| 21Also, do not pay attention to everything that people say; otherwise, you might even hear your servant cursing you. | 21Don’t eavesdrop on others—you may hear your servant curse you. |
| 22For you know in your own heart that you also have cursed others many times. | 22For you know how often you yourself have cursed others. |
| 23I have examined all this by wisdom; I said, "I am determined to comprehend this"--but it was beyond my grasp. | 23I have always tried my best to let wisdom guide my thoughts and actions. I said to myself, “I am determined to be wise.” But it didn’t work. |
| 24Whatever has happened is beyond human understanding; it is far deeper than anyone can fathom. | 24Wisdom is always distant and difficult to find. |
| 25I tried to understand, examine, and comprehend the role of wisdom in the scheme of things, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the insanity of folly. | 25I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for things. I was determined to prove to myself that wickedness is stupid and that foolishness is madness. |
| 26I discovered this: More bitter than death is the kind of woman who is like a hunter's snare; her heart is like a hunter's net and her hands are like prison chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is captured by her. | 26I discovered that a seductive woman is a trap more bitter than death. Her passion is a snare, and her soft hands are chains. Those who are pleasing to God will escape her, but sinners will be caught in her snare. |
| 27The Teacher says: I discovered this while trying to discover the scheme of things, item by item. | 27“This is my conclusion,” says the Teacher. “I discovered this after looking at the matter from every possible angle. |
| 28What I have continually sought, I have not found; I have found only one upright man among a thousand, but I have not found one upright woman among all of them. | 28Though I have searched repeatedly, I have not found what I was looking for. Only one out of a thousand men is virtuous, but not one woman! |
| 29This alone have I discovered: God made humankind upright, but they have sought many evil schemes. | 29But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path.” |
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