New American Standard Bible 1995

Ecclesiastes 7:11-22

11Wisdom along with an inheritance is good And an 1advantage to those who see the sun.12For 2wisdom is 3protection just as money is 4protection, But the advantage of knowledge is that 5wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors.13Consider the 6work of God, For who is 7able to straighten what He has bent?14 8In the day of prosperity be happy, But 9in the day of adversity consider-- God has made the one as well as the other So that man will 10not discover anything that will be after him.

15I have seen everything during my 11 12lifetime of futility; there is 13a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness and there is 14a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness. 16Do not be excessively 15righteous and do not 16be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself? 17Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Why should you 17die before your time? 18It is good that you grasp one thing and also not 18let go of the other; for the one who 19fears God comes forth with 20both of them.

19 21Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city. 20Indeed, 22there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins. 21Also, do not 23take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant 24cursing you. 22For 25you also have realized that you likewise have many times cursed others.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 7

Notes

1. Ecclesiastes 7:11 Prov 8:10, 11; Eccl 2:13 ↩
2. Ecclesiastes 7:12 Eccl 7:19; 9:18 ↩
3. Ecclesiastes 7:12 Lit in a shadow ↩
4. Ecclesiastes 7:12 Lit in a shadow ↩
5. Ecclesiastes 7:12 Prov 3:18; 8:35 ↩
6. Ecclesiastes 7:13 Eccl 3:11; 8:17 ↩
7. Ecclesiastes 7:13 Eccl 1:15 ↩
8. Ecclesiastes 7:14 Deut 26:11; Eccl 3:22; 9:7; 11:9 ↩
9. Ecclesiastes 7:14 Deut 8:5; Job 2:10 ↩
10. Ecclesiastes 7:14 Eccl 3:22 ↩
11. Ecclesiastes 7:15 Lit days ↩
12. Ecclesiastes 7:15 Eccl 6:12; 9:9 ↩
13. Ecclesiastes 7:15 Eccl 8:14 ↩
14. Ecclesiastes 7:15 Eccl 8:12, 13 ↩
15. Ecclesiastes 7:16 Prov 25:16; Phil 3:6 ↩
16. Ecclesiastes 7:16 Rom 12:3 ↩
17. Ecclesiastes 7:17 Job 22:16; Ps 55:23; Prov 10:27 ↩
18. Ecclesiastes 7:18 Lit rest your hand ↩
19. Ecclesiastes 7:18 Eccl 3:14; 5:7; 8:12, 13; 12:13 ↩
20. Ecclesiastes 7:18 Lit all ↩
21. Ecclesiastes 7:19 Eccl 7:12; 9:13-18 ↩
22. Ecclesiastes 7:20 1 Kin 8:46; 2 Chr 6:36; Ps 143:2; Prov 20:9; Rom 3:23 ↩
23. Ecclesiastes 7:21 Lit give your heart to ↩
24. Ecclesiastes 7:21 Prov 30:10 ↩
25. Ecclesiastes 7:22 Lit your heart knows also ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 7