Bible-Reading.comEcclesiastes 7
1A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
2It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart.
3Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth.
5It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools.
6For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
7Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the heart.
8Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit.
9Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools.
10Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
11Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun.
12For wisdom is a defence as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom maketh them that possess it to live.
13Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?
14In the day of prosperity enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing of what shall be after him.
15All this have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous man that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his days by his wickedness.
16Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
17Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
18It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all.
19Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men that are in a city.
20Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.
21Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.
22For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
23All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
24Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out?
25I turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness;
26and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is nets and snares, and whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.
27See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, searching one by one to find out the reason;
28which my soul yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found.
29Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.
Ecclesiastes 8
1Who is as the wise? and who knoweth the explanation of things? A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face is changed.
2I say, Keep the king's commandment, and that on account of the oath of God.
3Be not hasty to go out of his sight; persist not in an evil thing: for he doeth whatever pleaseth him,
4because the word of a king is power; and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
5Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart knoweth time and manner.
6For to every purpose there is time and manner. For the misery of man is great upon him;
7for he knoweth not that which shall be; for who can tell him how it shall be?
8There is no man who hath control over the spirit to retain the spirit; and no one hath control over the day of death; and there is no discharge in that war, neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.
9All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time when man ruleth man to his hurt.
10And I have also seen the wicked buried and going away; and such as had acted rightly went from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city. This also is vanity.
11Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to do evil.
12Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and prolong his days, yet I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, because they fear before him;
13but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days as a shadow, because he feareth not before God.
14There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there are righteous men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; and there are wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.
15And I commended mirth, because there is nothing better for man under the sun than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry; for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God hath given him under the sun.
16When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes),
17then I saw that all is the work of God, and that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because however man may labour to seek it out, yet doth he not find it; and even, if a wise man think to know it, he shall not be able to find it out.