Ecclesiastes 7
Expanded Bible
Some Benefits of Serious Thinking
7 It is better to have ·respect [a good reputation/L name] than ·good [fine] ·perfume [oil].
The day of death is better than the day of birth.
2 It is better to go to a ·funeral [L house of mourning]
than to a ·party [L drinking house].
·We all must die [L It is everyone’s end],
and everyone living should ·think about this [L take it to heart].
3 ·Sorrow [or Anger] is better than laughter,
and ·sadness has a good influence on you [in a troubled face the heart is made well].
4 ·A wise person thinks about death [The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning],
but ·a fool thinks only about having a good time [L the heart of fools is in a house of pleasure].
5 It is better to ·be criticized by a [hear the rebuke of a] wise person
than to ·be praised by a fool [L hear the song of fools].
6 The laughter of fools
is like the crackling of thorns ·in a cooking fire [L under the pot].
Both are useless [1:2].
7 Even wise people are fools
if they let ·money change their thinking [L a bribe distort their understanding].
8 It is better to ·finish [end] something
than to ·start [begin] it.
It is better to be patient
than to be proud.
9 Don’t ·become angry quickly [L be quick to anger in your spirit],
because ·getting angry is foolish [L anger resides in the bosom of fools].
10 Don’t ·ask [L say], “Why ·was life better in the ‘good old days’ [L were the former days better than these]?”
It is not ·wise [L from wisdom] to ask ·such questions [L this].
11 Wisdom is better when it comes with ·money [L an inheritance].
·They both help those who are alive [L It is an advantage to those who see the sun].
12 ·Wisdom is like money:
they both help [L The protection/shade of wisdom is in/or like the protection/shade of money].
But wisdom is better,
because it can ·save [give life to] whoever has it.
13 Look at ·what God has done [L the work/deeds of God]:
·No one [L Who can…?] straighten what he has bent [1:15].
14 When life is good, enjoy it.
But when life is hard, remember:
God gives good times and hard times,
and no one knows what tomorrow will bring.
It Is Impossible to Be Truly Good
15 In my useless [1:2] ·life [L days] I have seen both of these:
I have seen ·good [righteous] people die ·in spite of their goodness [L in their righteousness]
and ·evil [wicked] people live a long time in spite of their evil.
16 Don’t be ·too [overly] ·right [righteous; good],
and don’t ·be too [or pretend to be] wise.
Why ·destroy [ruin] yourself?
17 Don’t be ·too [overly] wicked,
and don’t be foolish.
Why die ·before [L when it is not] your time?
18 It is good to grab the one and not ·let go of [L relax your hand from] the other;
those who ·respect [or are afraid of; 5:7; 7:18; 8:12, 13] God will hold them both.
19 Wisdom makes a person stronger
than ten ·leaders [officials; rulers] in a city [9:13–16; Prov. 24:5–6].
20 Surely there is not a ·good [righteous] person on earth
who always does good and never sins [1 Kin. 8:46; Ps. 143:2; Prov. 20:9; Rom. 3:10–18].
21 Don’t ·listen [L give your heart] to everything people say,
or you might hear your servant insulting you.
22 ·You know [L Your heart knows] that many times
you have insulted others.
23 I ·used wisdom to test [L tested with/or by wisdom] all these things.
I said, “I ·want to [or will] be wise,”
but it was ·too hard for [L far from] me.
24 ·I cannot understand why things are as they are [L That which is, is far off].
It is ·too hard for anyone to understand [L deep, deep, who can find it?].
25 ·I studied and tried very hard to find wisdom,
to find some meaning for everything [L I and my heart turned to understand and to explore and to seek wisdom and the sum of things].
I learned that it is foolish to be evil,
and it is crazy to act like a fool.
26 I found that ·some women [or women] are ·worse [L more bitter] than death
and are ·as dangerous as traps [L a trap/snare].
Their ·love is like [L heart is] a net,
and their ·arms hold men like [L hands are] chains.
A man who pleases God will ·be saved from [escape] them,
but ·a sinner [or someone who offends him] will be caught by them.
27 The ·Teacher [or Preacher; L Assembler; 1:1] says, “This is what I ·learned [L found]:
·I added all these things together
to find some meaning for everything [L One to one to find the sum/scheme of things].
28 While I was searching and not finding,
I found one man among a thousand.
But I did not find a woman among all these [C that is a good woman].
29 One thing I have ·learned [L found]:
God made people ·good [virtuous; upright],
but they have ·found all kinds of ways to be bad [L sought out many devices].”
Ecclesiastes 7
New King James Version
The Value of Practical Wisdom
7 A (A)good name is better than precious ointment,
And the day of death than the day of one’s (B)birth;
2 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 take it to (C)heart.
3 [a]Sorrow is better than laughter,
(D)For by a sad countenance the heart is made [b]better.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 (E)It is better to [c]hear the rebuke of the wise
Than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 (F)For like the [d]crackling of thorns under a pot,
So is the laughter of the fool.
This also is vanity.
7 Surely oppression destroys a wise man’s reason,
(G)And a bribe [e]debases the heart.
8 The end of a thing is better than its beginning;
(H)The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 (I)Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry,
For anger rests in the bosom of fools.
10 Do not say,
“Why were the former days better than these?”
For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.
11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance,
And profitable (J)to those who see the sun.
12 For wisdom is [f]a (K)defense as money is a defense,
But the [g]excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives (L)life to those who have it.
13 Consider the work of God;
For (M)who can make straight what He has made crooked?
14 (N)In the day of prosperity be joyful,
But in the day of adversity consider:
Surely God has appointed the one [h]as well as the other,
So that man can find out nothing that will come after him.
15 I have seen everything in my days of vanity:
(O)There is a just man who perishes in his righteousness,
And there is a wicked man who prolongs life in his wickedness.
16 (P)Do not be overly righteous,
(Q)Nor be overly wise:
Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Do not be overly wicked,
Nor be foolish:
(R)Why should you die before your time?
18 It is good that you grasp this,
And also not remove your hand from the other;
For he who (S)fears God will [i]escape them all.
19 (T)Wisdom strengthens the wise
More than ten rulers of the city.
20 (U)For there is not a just man on earth who does good
And does not sin.
21 Also do not take to heart everything people say,
Lest you hear your servant cursing you.
22 For many times, also, your own heart has known
That even you have cursed others.
23 All this I have [j]proved by wisdom.
(V)I said, “I will be wise”;
But it was far from me.
24 (W)As for that which is far off and (X)exceedingly deep,
Who can find it out?
25 (Y)I 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.
26 (Z)And I find more bitter than death
The woman whose heart is snares and nets,
Whose hands are fetters.
[k]He who pleases God shall escape from her,
But the sinner shall be trapped by her.
27 “Here is what I have found,” says (AA)the Preacher,
“Adding one thing to the other to find out the reason,
28 Which my soul still seeks but I cannot find:
(AB)One man among a thousand I have found,
But a woman among all these I have not found.
29 Truly, this only I have found:
(AC)That God made man upright,
But (AD)they have sought out many schemes.”
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 7:3 Vexation or Grief
- Ecclesiastes 7:3 well or pleasing
- Ecclesiastes 7:5 listen to
- Ecclesiastes 7:6 Lit. sound
- Ecclesiastes 7:7 destroys
- Ecclesiastes 7:12 A protective shade, lit. shadow
- Ecclesiastes 7:12 advantage or profit
- Ecclesiastes 7:14 alongside
- Ecclesiastes 7:18 Lit. come forth from all of them
- Ecclesiastes 7:23 tested
- Ecclesiastes 7:26 Lit. He who is good before God
Ecclesiastes 7
English Standard Version
The Contrast of Wisdom and Folly
7 (A)A good name is better than precious ointment,
and (B)the day of death than the day of birth.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning
than to go to the house of feasting,
for this is the end of all mankind,
and the living will (C)lay it to heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter,
(D)for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 It is (E)better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise
than to hear the song of fools.
6 (F)For as the crackling of (G)thorns under a pot,
so is the laughter of the fools;
this also is vanity.[a]
7 Surely (H)oppression drives the wise into madness,
and (I)a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning,
and (J)the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 (K)Be not quick in your spirit to become angry,
(L)for anger lodges in the heart[b] of fools.
10 Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?”
For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.
11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance,
an advantage to those who (M)see the sun.
12 For the protection of wisdom is like (N)the protection of money,
and the advantage of knowledge is that (O)wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
13 Consider (P)the work of God:
(Q)who can make straight what he has made crooked?
14 (R)In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, (S)so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.
15 In my (T)vain[c] life I have seen everything. There is (U)a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who (V)prolongs his life in his evildoing. 16 Be not overly righteous, and do not (W)make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? 17 Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. (X)Why should you die before your time? 18 It is good that you should take hold of (Y)this, and from (Z)that (AA)withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.
19 (AB)Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
20 Surely (AC)there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
21 Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear (AD)your servant cursing you. 22 Your heart knows that (AE)many times you yourself have cursed others.
23 All this I have tested by wisdom. (AF)I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me. 24 That which has been is far off, and (AG)deep, very deep; (AH)who can find it out?
25 (AI)I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness. 26 And I find something more (AJ)bitter than death: (AK)the woman whose heart is (AL)snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but (AM)the sinner is taken by her. 27 Behold, this is what I found, says (AN)the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things— 28 which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. (AO)One man among a thousand I found, but (AP)a woman among all these I have not found. 29 See, this alone I found, that (AQ)God made man upright, but (AR)they have sought out many schemes.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 7:6 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)
- Ecclesiastes 7:9 Hebrew in the bosom
- Ecclesiastes 7:15 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
