Ecclesiastes 7 NKJV NLT Parallel

◄ Ecclesiastes 7 ►

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New King James Version

New Living Translation

1A good name is better than precious ointment, And the day of death 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.

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.

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, For by a sad countenance the heart is made better.

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 mirth.

4A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time.

5It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise Than for a man to hear the song of fools.

5Better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool.

6For like the crackling of thorns under a pot, So is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.

6A fool’s laughter is quickly gone, like thorns crackling in a fire. This also is meaningless.

7Surely oppression destroys a wise man’s reason, And a bribe debases the heart.

7Extortion turns wise people into fools, and bribes corrupt the heart.

8The end of a thing is better than its beginning; The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

8Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride.

9Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, For anger rests in the bosom of fools.

9Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.

10Do not say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.

10Don’t long for “the good old days.” This is not wise.

11Wisdom is good with an inheritance, And profitable to those who see the sun.

11Wisdom is even better when you have money. Both are a benefit as you go through life.

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.

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 made crooked?

13Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he has made crooked?

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.

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

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 in this meaningless life, including the death of good young people and the long life of wicked people.

16Do not be overly righteous, Nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself?

16So don’t be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself?

17Do not be overly wicked, Nor be foolish: Why should you 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 good that you grasp this, And also not remove your hand from the other; For he who fears God will escape them all.

18Pay attention to these instructions, for anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes.

19Wisdom strengthens the wise More than ten rulers of the city.

19One wise person is stronger than ten leading citizens of a town!

20For there is not a just man on earth who does good And does not sin.

20Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins.

21Also do not take to heart everything people say, Lest you hear your servant cursing you.

21Don’t eavesdrop on others—you may hear your servant curse you.

22For many times, also, your own heart has known That even you have cursed others.

22For you know how often you yourself have cursed others.

23All this I have proved by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise”; But it was far from me.

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.

24As for that which is far off and exceedingly deep, Who can find it out?

24Wisdom is always distant and difficult to find.

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 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.

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.

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.

27“Here is what I have found,” says the Preacher, “Adding one thing to the other to find out the reason,

27“This is my conclusion,” says the Teacher. “I discovered this after looking at the matter from every possible angle.

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.

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!

29Truly, this only I have found: That God made man upright, But they have sought out many 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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