Verse
BSB
Berean Standard Bible
ASV
American Standard Version
A good name is better than fine
perfume,
and one’s
day of death is
better
than his
day of birth.
A `
good '
name is better than precious
oil;
and the
day of death ,
than the
day of one's
birth.
It is better to enter
a
house of mourning than a
house of feasting ,
since
death
is the end of every
man,
and the living should
take
this
to heart.
It 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.
Sorrow is better than laughter ,
for a
sad
countenance is
good
for
the heart.
Sorrow is better than laughter ;
for by
the
sadness
of
the
countenance the heart is
made
glad
.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning ,
but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure
.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning ;
but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth
.
It is better to heed
a
wise
man’s
rebuke than to
listen
to the song of fools.
It is better to hear
the
rebuke of
the
wise,
than for
a
man
to hear
the song of fools.
For like
the crackling of thorns under the
pot, so is the laughter of the fool .
This too
is futile
.
For as
the crackling of thorns under a
pot, so is the laughter of the fool :
this also
is vanity
.
Surely extortion turns
a
wise man into
a
fool,
and a bribe corrupts
the heart
.
Surely extortion maketh
the
wise man foolish;
and a bribe destroyeth
the understanding
.
The end of a matter
is
better
than the beginning ,
and a
patient spirit is better than a
proud one
.
Better
is
the end of a thing
than the beginning thereof;
`
and '
the
patient in
spirit is better than the
proud in
spirit
.
Do
not
be quickly
provoked
in your
spirit ,
for anger settles
in the lap
of a
fool
.
Be not
hasty
in thy
spirit to
be
angry;
for anger resteth
in the bosom
of fools
.
Do
not
say, “Why
were
the old
days better than these? ”
For it
is
unwise
of
you
to
ask
about
this.
Say not
thou
, What
is
the cause
that
the
former
days were
better than these? for thou
dost
not
inquire
wisely
concerning
this.
Wisdom ,
like
an inheritance, is good,
and
it benefits
those
who
see the sun.
Wisdom is
as
good
as
an inheritance ;
yea
, more
excellent
is it for
them
that
see the sun.
For wisdom, like
money ,
is a shelter,
and
the advantage
of knowledge is that wisdom preserves
the life of its
owner
.
For 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
.
Consider the work of God: Who can straighten
what
He has
bent
?
Consider the work of God: for
who can make
that
straight,
which
he hath
made
crooked
?
In the day of prosperity ,
be joyful, but
in the day of adversity ,
consider this:
God has
made one of
these
along
with the other, so
that a
man cannot
discover
anything that will
come
after him.
In the day of prosperity be joyful, and
in the day of adversity consider ;
yea,
God hath
made the
one side
by
side
with the other, to
the
end
that man should
not
find
out
anything `
that shall
be'
after him.
In
my
futile
life
I
have seen both
of these
: A righteous man perishing
in his righteousness, and a wicked man living
long
in his wickedness
.
All
this
have I
seen in
my
days
of 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
.
Do
not
be overly
righteous,
and
do
not make yourself
too
wise.
Why should
you
destroy yourself
?
Be not righteous
overmuch;
neither
make thyself
overwise:
why shouldest
thou
destroy thyself
?
Do
not
be excessively
wicked, and
do
not
be a
fool.
Why should
you
die before your
time?
Be not
overmuch
wicked, neither
be thou
foolish:
why shouldest
thou
die before thy
time?
It is good to
grasp
the
one
and
not
let
the
other
slip
from your
hand .
For he who
fears
God will
follow
both
warnings
.
It is good that
thou
shouldest
take
hold
of
this;
yea,
also
from that
withdraw
not
thy
hand :
for he that
feareth
God shall
come
forth
from
them
all
.
Wisdom makes
the wise man stronger
than ten rulers in a city.
Wisdom is
a
strength
to
the wise man more
than ten rulers that
are
in a city.
Surely there is no
righteous man on
earth who
does
good and never
sins
.
Surely there is not
a
righteous man upon
earth ,
that
doeth
good ,
and sinneth
not
.
Do
not pay
attention
to
every
word
that is
spoken, or
you
may
hear your
servant cursing
you.
Also
take
not heed
unto
all
words
that are
spoken, lest
thou
hear thy
servant curse
thee;
For you
know
in
your
heart that many
times
you
yourself
have
cursed others.
for oftentimes
also
thine
own
heart knoweth
that thou
thyself
likewise
hast
cursed others.
All this I tested
by
wisdom ,
saying
, “
I resolve
to
be wise .”
But it was beyond
me.
All this have
I proved
in
wisdom :
I
said
, I will
be wise ;
but it was far
from
me.
What
exists
is out
of
reach
and very
deep .
Who can fathom
it?
That
which
is ,
is
far
off
and exceeding
deep ;
who can find
it out
?
I directed
my
mind
to
understand
, to explore,
to search out wisdom
and
explanations
, and to understand
the stupidity
of wickedness
and the
folly of
madness.
I 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.
And I find more bitter than death the woman who
is
a
snare,
whose heart is a
net
, and whose hands are chains.
The
man
who
pleases
God escapes
her ,
but the sinner is
ensnared
.
And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares
and
nets
, `
and '
whose hands are bands:
whoso
pleaseth
God shall
escape
from
her ;
but the sinner shall
be
taken
by
her
.
“
Behold, ”
says
the Teacher
, “I
have
discovered
this
by
adding
one thing to another to find an
explanation.
Behold, this
have
I
found,
saith
the Preacher
, `laying'
one thing to another ,
to find out
the
account;
While
my soul was
still searching
but not finding,
among a thousand I
have found one
upright
man,
but among all these
I
have not found one
such
woman
.
which
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.
Only
this have I found: I
have
discovered
that God made men
upright ,
but they have sought out many schemes
. ”
Behold,
this only
have I found: that God made man
upright ;
but they have sought out many inventions
.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible and American Standard Version. Public domain; source text distributed by BSB Publishing, LLC.; Public domain..