New American Standard Bible 1995

Ecclesiastes 7:16-25

16Do not be excessively 1righteous and do not 2be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself? 17Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Why should you 3die before your time? 18It is good that you grasp one thing and also not 4let go of the other; for the one who 5fears God comes forth with 6both of them.

19 7Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city. 20Indeed, 8there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins. 21Also, do not 9take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant 10cursing you. 22For 11you also have realized that you likewise have many times cursed others.

23I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, “I will be wise,” 12but it was far from me. 24What has been is remote and 13exceedingly 14mysterious. 15Who can discover it? 25I 16 17directed my 18mind to know, to investigate and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the evil of folly and the foolishness of madness.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 7

Notes

1. Ecclesiastes 7:16 Prov 25:16; Phil 3:6 ↩
2. Ecclesiastes 7:16 Rom 12:3 ↩
3. Ecclesiastes 7:17 Job 22:16; Ps 55:23; Prov 10:27 ↩
4. Ecclesiastes 7:18 Lit rest your hand ↩
5. Ecclesiastes 7:18 Eccl 3:14; 5:7; 8:12, 13; 12:13 ↩
6. Ecclesiastes 7:18 Lit all ↩
7. Ecclesiastes 7:19 Eccl 7:12; 9:13-18 ↩
8. Ecclesiastes 7:20 1 Kin 8:46; 2 Chr 6:36; Ps 143:2; Prov 20:9; Rom 3:23 ↩
9. Ecclesiastes 7:21 Lit give your heart to ↩
10. Ecclesiastes 7:21 Prov 30:10 ↩
11. Ecclesiastes 7:22 Lit your heart knows also ↩
12. Ecclesiastes 7:23 Eccl 3:11; 8:17 ↩
13. Ecclesiastes 7:24 Rom 11:33 ↩
14. Ecclesiastes 7:24 Lit deep ↩
15. Ecclesiastes 7:24 Job 11:7; 37:23; Eccl 8:17 ↩
16. Ecclesiastes 7:25 Lit turned about ↩
17. Ecclesiastes 7:25 Eccl 1:15, 17; 10:13 ↩
18. Ecclesiastes 7:25 Lit heart ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 7