1 GLT Better is a{ good} name than fine oil and the day of death{ is better} than the day of his birth. BSB BSB: A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.
2 GLT Better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of a banquet, because it{ is} the end of all humanity and the living will give{ it} to his heart. BSB BSB: 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.
3 GLT Better grief than laughter, for with a bad face a heart is made good. BSB BSB: Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart.
4 GLT { The} heart of wise people{ is} in a house of mourning, but{ the} heart of fools{ is} in house of joy. BSB BSB: The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
5 GLT Better to listen to a rebuke of a wise person than{ to be} a person listening to a song of fools, BSB BSB: It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.
6 GLT for like the sound of the thorns under the cooking- pot, so{ is} the laughter of the fool. And this also{ is} vapor. BSB BSB: For like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.
7 GLT For oppression drives a wise person insane, and a bribe destroys a heart. BSB BSB: Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 GLT Better is an end of a thing than its beginning. Better is a long spirit than a high spirit. BSB BSB: The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one.
9 GLT Do not hasten in your spirit to become angry, for anger rests in{ the} lap of fools. BSB BSB: Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.
10 GLT Do not say,“What was{ it} that the former days were better than these?” For you do not ask about this out of wisdom. BSB BSB: Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is unwise of you to ask about this.
11 GLT Wisdom is good with an inheritance and an advantage to those who see the sun. BSB BSB: Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun.
12 GLT For{ as} in the shadow of wisdom,{ so} in the shadow of silver. And{ this is} an advantage of knowledge: wisdom preserves her owners. BSB BSB: For wisdom, like money, is a shelter, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.
13 GLT See the work of God, for who is able to straighten that which he has made it crooked? BSB BSB: Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent?
14 GLT In the good day, be in good, but in a day of misfortune, see— indeed, God has done this as well as this, so that humanity cannot find anything after him. BSB BSB: 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.
15 GLT I have seen everything in the days of my vapor: There is a righteous person perishing in his righteousness, and there is a wicked person lengthening{ his days} in his evil. BSB BSB: 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.
16 GLT Do not be very righteous and do not be exceedingly wise— why should you be shocked? BSB BSB: Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
17 GLT Do not be very wicked and do not be a fool— why should you die when{ it is} not your time? BSB BSB: Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?
18 GLT { It is} good that you should take hold of this and also from this do not let your hand rest, for the one who fears God will go forth with both of them. BSB BSB: 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.
19 GLT Wisdom is strong for the wise, more than ten rulers who are in the city. BSB BSB: Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.
20 GLT For a person— there is not a righteous{ person} on the earth who does good and does not sin. BSB BSB: Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
21 GLT Also, to all of the words that they say, do not give your heart, so that you will not hear your servant belittling you. BSB BSB: Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you.
22 GLT For also many times your heart knows that even you have belittled others. BSB BSB: For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
23 GLT All of this I tested with wisdom. I said,“Let me be wise,” but it{ was} far from me. BSB BSB: All this I tested by wisdom, saying, “I resolve to be wise.” But it was beyond me.
24 GLT Far away is that which was, and deep, deep. Who will find it? BSB BSB: What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it?
25 GLT I turned, I and my heart, to know and to explore,{ to} seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know{ the} wickedness{ that is} folly and the foolishness{ that is} madness. BSB BSB: 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.
26 GLT And I found more bitter than death{ is} the woman who, snares she{ is}, and her heart, nets; her hands, chains. The one who is good to the face of God will flee from her, but a sinner will be captured by her. BSB BSB: 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.
27 GLT “See, this I have found,” says Qoheleth,“one to one to find the scheme of things. BSB BSB: “Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation.
28 GLT That which continually my soul sought, but I have not found: one man from a thousand{ men} I found. But a woman from all of these{ people}, I did not find. BSB BSB: 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.
29 GLT Only see— this I have found: that God made humanity upright, but they, they have sought out many schemes.” BSB BSB: Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made mankind upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.