New American Standard Bible 2020

Ecclesiastes 7:15-24

15I have seen everything during my 1 2lifetime of futility; there is 3a righteous person who perishes in his righteousness, and there is 4a wicked person who prolongs his life in his wickedness. 16Do not be excessively 5righteous, and do not 6be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself? 17Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be foolish. Why should you 7die 8before your time? 18It is good that you grasp one thing while not 9letting go of the other; for one who 10fears God comes out with 11both of them.

19 12Wisdom strengthens a wise person more than ten rulers who are in a city. 20Indeed, 13there is not a righteous person on earth who always does good and does not ever sin. 21Also, do not 14take seriously all the words which are spoken, so that you do not hear your servant 15cursing you, 22for 16you know that even you have cursed others many times as well.

23I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, “I will be wise,” 17but wisdom was far from me. 24What has been is remote and 18very 19mysterious. 20Who can discover it?

Read all of Ecclesiastes 7

Notes

1. Ecclesiastes 7:15 Lit days ↩
2. Ecclesiastes 7:15 Eccl 6:12; 9:9 ↩
3. Ecclesiastes 7:15 Eccl 8:14 ↩
4. Ecclesiastes 7:15 Eccl 8:12, 13 ↩
5. Ecclesiastes 7:16 Prov 25:16; Phil 3:6 ↩
6. Ecclesiastes 7:16 Rom 12:3 ↩
7. Ecclesiastes 7:17 Job 22:16; Ps 55:23; Prov 10:27 ↩
8. Ecclesiastes 7:17 Lit when not your time ↩
9. Ecclesiastes 7:18 Lit resting your hand ↩
10. Ecclesiastes 7:18 Eccl 3:14; 5:7; 8:12, 13; 12:13 ↩
11. Ecclesiastes 7:18 Lit all of them ↩
12. Ecclesiastes 7:19 Eccl 7:12; 9:13-18 ↩
13. Ecclesiastes 7:20 1 Kin 8:46; 2 Chr 6:36; Ps 143:2; Prov 20:9; Rom 3:23 ↩
14. Ecclesiastes 7:21 Lit give your heart to ↩
15. Ecclesiastes 7:21 Prov 30:10 ↩
16. Ecclesiastes 7:22 Lit your heart knows ↩
17. Ecclesiastes 7:23 Eccl 3:11; 8:17 ↩
18. Ecclesiastes 7:24 Rom 11:33 ↩
19. Ecclesiastes 7:24 Lit deep ↩
20. Ecclesiastes 7:24 Job 11:7; 37:23; Eccl 8:17 ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 7