Ecclesiastes 7

The Value of Wisdom

1 A good name is better than fine perfume, ‡ Rev 14:13Pro 22:1Ecc 4:22Co 5:82Co 5:1Php 1:21-23Pro 27:9Sng 1:3 +11

and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.

2 It is better to enter a house of mourning ‡ Psa 90:12Deu 32:29Heb 9:27Deu 32:461Pe 4:3-4Hag 1:5Php 3:19Amo 6:3-6 +12

than a house of feasting,

since death is the end of every man,

and the living should take this to heart.

3 Sorrow is better than laughter, ‡ 2Co 7:9-11Rom 5:3-4Jas 4:8-10Jhn 16:20-222Co 4:17Heb 12:10-11Jas 1:2-4Jer 31:15-20 +11

for a sad countenance is good for the heart.

4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, ‡ Mat 8:14-161Sa 25:36Luk 7:12-131Ki 20:161Sa 30:16Dan 5:1-4Dan 5:30Hos 7:5 +10

but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

5 It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke ‡ Pro 15:31-32Psa 141:5Rev 3:19Pro 13:18Pro 17:10Pro 9:8Pro 27:6Pro 13:13 +1

than to listen to the song of fools.

6 For like the crackling of thorns under the pot, ‡ Psa 118:12Psa 58:9Ecc 2:2Luk 6:252Pe 2:13-17Amo 8:10Isa 65:13-15Jud 1:12-13 +2

so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.

7 Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool, ‡ Deu 16:19Exo 23:8Pro 17:231Sa 8:3Deu 28:33-34Deu 28:65Ecc 4:1Isa 1:23 +3

and a bribe corrupts the heart.

8 The end of a matter is better than the beginning, ‡ Heb 10:36Psa 126:5-6Pro 14:291Pe 1:13Jas 5:11Jas 5:8Pro 15:18Gal 5:22 +11

and a patient spirit is better than a proud one.

9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, ‡ Jas 1:19Pro 14:17Pro 16:32Eph 4:26-27Pro 26:23-261Sa 25:21-222Sa 13:222Sa 19:43 +11

for anger settles in the lap of a fool. ¹

10 Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” ‡ Psa 14:2-3Gen 6:11-12Isa 50:1Jdg 6:13Rom 1:22-32Jer 44:17-19Rom 3:9-19

For it is unwise of you to ask about this.

11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, ‡ Ecc 11:71Ti 6:17-19Ecc 2:13Pro 8:10-111Ki 3:6-9Ecc 9:15-18Luk 16:8-9

and it benefits those who see the sun.

12 For wisdom, like money, is a shelter, ‡ Pro 8:35Pro 2:7Pro 3:18Jdg 9:15Jhn 12:50Jhn 17:3Pro 11:4Pro 18:10-11 +12

and the advantage of knowledge

is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.

13 Consider the work of God: ‡ Ecc 1:15Job 12:14Psa 107:43Ecc 3:11Isa 14:27Isa 5:12Eph 1:11Rom 9:15 +9

Who can straighten what He has bent?

14 In the day of prosperity, be joyful, ‡ Ecc 3:4Ecc 3:22Deu 8:3Ecc 12:13Jas 5:13Deu 28:47Isa 26:111Ki 17:17-18 +18

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.

The Limits of Human Wisdom

15 In my futile life I have seen both of these: ‡ Ecc 8:12-14Ecc 6:12Mat 23:34-35Psa 73:3-13Ecc 9:1-21Ki 21:131Sa 22:18-192Ch 24:21-22 +12

A righteous man perishing in his righteousness,

and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.

16 Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? ‡ Rom 12:3Pro 25:16Col 2:181Co 3:18Jas 3:13-17Mat 6:1-7Ecc 12:12Gen 3:6 +1717 Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time? ‡ Pro 10:27Job 22:16Psa 55:23Act 12:23Act 5:10Act 5:51Sa 25:38Gen 38:7-10 +518 It is good to grasp the one and not let the other slip from your hand. For he who fears God will follow both warnings. ² ‡ Ecc 12:13Ecc 8:12Mal 4:2Ecc 11:6Luk 1:50Luk 11:42Ecc 3:14Jer 32:40 +4

19 Wisdom makes the wise man ‡ Col 1:9-11Pro 21:22Ecc 9:13-18Pro 24:52Sa 20:16-22

stronger than ten rulers in a city.

20 Surely there is no righteous man on earth ‡ Rom 3:23Isa 53:61Jn 1:8-10Jas 3:2Pro 20:91Ki 8:46Job 15:14-16Isa 64:6 +3

who does good and never sins.

21 Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you. ‡ Pro 30:10Isa 29:212Sa 16:101Co 13:5-72Sa 19:19 22 For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others. ‡ Jas 3:91Ki 2:44Jhn 8:7-9Mat 15:19Mat 18:32-35

23 All this I tested by wisdom, saying, “I resolve to be wise.” But it was beyond me. ‡ Rom 1:221Co 1:20Gen 3:51Ki 11:1-81Ki 3:11-12 24 What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it? ‡ Rom 11:331Ti 6:16Isa 55:8-9Job 28:28Psa 139:6Job 11:7-8Job 28:12-23Psa 36:6 +1

25 I 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. ‡ Ecc 10:13Jos 7:132Pe 2:3-92Pe 3:3-92Sa 13:12Ecc 1:13-17Ecc 2:1-3Ecc 2:12 +926 And 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. ‡ Pro 22:14Pro 5:3-5Pro 2:16Ecc 2:26Pro 2:18-19Pro 23:27-28Pro 7:21-27Jdg 16:18-21 +1

27 “Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation. ‡ Ecc 12:8-10Ecc 1:1-2 28 While 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. ‡ Job 33:23Psa 12:11Ki 11:1-3Ecc 7:23-24Isa 26:9 29 Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made men upright, but they have sought out many schemes.” ‡ Jer 4:22Gen 6:11-12Mrk 7:8-9Gen 5:1Tit 3:3Eph 2:2-3Gen 1:26-27Gen 3:6-7 +10