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: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.
3Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made glad.
4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man 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 extortion maketh a wise man foolish; and a gift destroyeth the understanding.
8Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
10Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
11Wisdom is as good as an inheritance: yea, more excellent is it for them that see the sun.
12For wisdom is a defence, even as money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom preserveth the life of him that hath it.
13Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?
14In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath even made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out any thing that shall be after him.
15All this have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his evil-doing.
16Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
17Be not over much 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 thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.
19Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers which are in a city.
20Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
21Also take not heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:
22for oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
23All this have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
24That which is is far off, and exceeding deep; who can find it out?
25I turned about, and my heart was set to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the reason of things, and to know that wickedness is folly, and that foolishness is madness:
26And I find a thing more bitter than death, even the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.
27Behold, this have I found, saith the Preacher; laying one thing to another, to find out the account:
28which my soul still seeketh, but I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.
29Behold, this only have I found, that God made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
Ecclesiastes 8
1Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.
2I counsel thee, Keep the king’s command, and that in regard of the oath of God.
3Be not hasty to go out of his presence; persist not in an evil thing: for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
4Because the king’s word hath 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 discerneth time and judgment:
6for to every purpose there is a time and judgment; because 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 that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in that war: neither shall wickedness deliver him that is 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 wherein one man hath power over another to his hurt.
10And withal I saw the wicked buried, and they came to the grave; and they that had done right went away 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 sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
12Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and prolong his days, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:
13but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.
14There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be righteous men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.
15Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him in his labour all the days of his life which God hath given him under the sun.
16When I applied mine 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 beheld all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because however much a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea moreover, though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.