Ecclesiastes 7

1A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one’s birth.Cross-references: Job 3:17 · Ps 133:2 · Prov 15:30 · Prov 22:1 · Prov 27:9 · Eccl 4:2 · +13 more

2It 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 should take this to heart.Cross-references: Gen 48:1 · Gen 49:2 · Gen 50:15 · Num 23:10 · Deut 32:29 · Deut 32:46 · +14 more

3Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.Cross-references: Ps 119:67 · Ps 119:71 · Ps 126:5 · Jer 31:8 · Jer 31:15 · Jer 50:4 · +13 more

4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.Cross-references: 1Sam 25:36 · 1Sam 30:16 · 2Sam 13:28 · 1Ki 20:16 · Neh 2:2 · Isa 21:4 · +12 more

5It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools.Cross-references: Ps 69:12 · Ps 141:5 · Prov 9:8 · Prov 13:13 · Prov 13:18 · Prov 15:31 · +3 more

6For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.Cross-references: Ps 58:9 · Ps 118:12 · Prov 29:9 · Eccl 2:2 · Isa 65:13 · Amos 8:10 · +4 more

7Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.Cross-references: Ex 23:8 · Deut 16:19 · Deut 28:33 · Deut 28:65 · 1Sam 8:3 · 1Sam 12:3 · +5 more

8Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.Cross-references: Ps 126:5 · Prov 13:10 · Prov 14:29 · Prov 15:18 · Prov 16:32 · Prov 28:25 · +13 more

9Don’t be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.Cross-references: Gen 4:5 · Gen 4:8 · Gen 34:7 · Gen 34:25 · Gen 34:30 · 1Sam 25:21 · +13 more

10Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this.Cross-references: Gen 6:11 · Judg 6:13 · Ps 14:2 · Isa 50:1 · Jer 44:17 · Rom 1:22 · +1 more

11Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent for those who see the sun.Cross-references: 1Ki 3:6 · Prov 8:10 · Eccl 2:13 · Eccl 9:15 · Eccl 11:7 · Luke 16:8 · +1 more

12For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.Cross-references: Deut 30:19 · Deut 32:47 · Judg 9:15 · Job 1:10 · Job 22:21 · Ps 57:1 · +14 more

13Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight which he has made crooked?Cross-references: Job 9:12 · Job 11:10 · Job 12:14 · Job 34:29 · Job 37:14 · Ps 8:3 · +11 more

14In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.Cross-references: Deut 8:3 · Deut 28:47 · 1Ki 8:47 · 1Ki 17:17 · 2Chr 33:12 · Job 10:1 · +20 more

15All this I have seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.Cross-references: Gen 47:9 · 1Sam 22:18 · 1Ki 21:13 · 2Chr 24:21 · Job 9:22 · Job 21:7 · +14 more

16Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?Cross-references: Gen 3:6 · Job 11:12 · Job 28:28 · Prov 23:4 · Prov 25:16 · Eccl 12:12 · +19 more

17Don’t be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time?Cross-references: Gen 38:7 · 1Sam 25:38 · Job 15:32 · Job 22:16 · Ps 55:23 · Prov 10:27 · +7 more

18It is good that you should take hold of this. Yes, also don’t withdraw your hand from that; for he who fears God will come out of them all.Cross-references: Ps 25:12 · Ps 145:19 · Prov 4:25 · Prov 8:20 · Eccl 3:14 · Eccl 8:12 · +6 more

19Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.Cross-references: 2Sam 20:16 · Prov 21:22 · Prov 24:5 · Eccl 9:13 · Col 1:9

20Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and doesn’t sin.Cross-references: 1Ki 8:46 · 2Chr 6:36 · Job 15:14 · Ps 130:3 · Ps 143:2 · Prov 20:9 · +5 more

21Also don’t take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;Cross-references: 2Sam 16:10 · 2Sam 19:19 · Prov 30:10 · Isa 29:21 · 1Cor 13:5

22for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.Cross-references: 1Ki 2:44 · Matt 15:19 · Matt 18:32 · John 8:7 · James 3:9

23All this I have proved in wisdom. I said, “I will be wise;” but it was far from me.Cross-references: Gen 3:5 · 1Ki 3:11 · 1Ki 11:1 · Rom 1:22 · 1Cor 1:20

24That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?Cross-references: Deut 30:11 · Job 11:7 · Job 28:12 · Job 28:28 · Ps 36:6 · Ps 139:6 · +3 more

25I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.Cross-references: Gen 34:7 · Josh 7:13 · 2Sam 13:12 · Prov 17:12 · Prov 26:11 · Eccl 1:13 · +11 more

26I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.Cross-references: Judg 16:18 · Prov 2:16 · Prov 2:18 · Prov 5:3 · Prov 7:21 · Prov 9:18 · +3 more

27“Behold, I have found this,” says the Preacher, “to one another, to find an explanationCross-references: Eccl 1:1 · Eccl 12:8

28which my soul still seeks, but I have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all those.Cross-references: 1Ki 11:1 · Job 33:23 · Ps 12:1 · Eccl 7:23 · Isa 26:9

29Behold, I have only found this: that God made mankind upright; but they search for many inventions.”Cross-references: Gen 1:26 · Gen 3:6 · Gen 5:1 · Gen 6:5 · Gen 6:11 · Gen 11:4 · +12 more