Ecclesiastes 7:1-12
Expanded Bible
Some Benefits of Serious Thinking
7 It is better to have ·respect [a good reputation/L name] than ·good [fine] ·perfume [oil].
The day of death is better than the day of birth.
2 It is better to go to a ·funeral [L house of mourning]
than to a ·party [L drinking house].
·We all must die [L It is everyone’s end],
and everyone living should ·think about this [L take it to heart].
3 ·Sorrow [or Anger] is better than laughter,
and ·sadness has a good influence on you [in a troubled face the heart is made well].
4 ·A wise person thinks about death [The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning],
but ·a fool thinks only about having a good time [L the heart of fools is in a house of pleasure].
5 It is better to ·be criticized by a [hear the rebuke of a] wise person
than to ·be praised by a fool [L hear the song of fools].
6 The laughter of fools
is like the crackling of thorns ·in a cooking fire [L under the pot].
Both are useless [1:2].
7 Even wise people are fools
if they let ·money change their thinking [L a bribe distort their understanding].
8 It is better to ·finish [end] something
than to ·start [begin] it.
It is better to be patient
than to be proud.
9 Don’t ·become angry quickly [L be quick to anger in your spirit],
because ·getting angry is foolish [L anger resides in the bosom of fools].
10 Don’t ·ask [L say], “Why ·was life better in the ‘good old days’ [L were the former days better than these]?”
It is not ·wise [L from wisdom] to ask ·such questions [L this].
11 Wisdom is better when it comes with ·money [L an inheritance].
·They both help those who are alive [L It is an advantage to those who see the sun].
12 ·Wisdom is like money:
they both help [L The protection/shade of wisdom is in/or like the protection/shade of money].
But wisdom is better,
because it can ·save [give life to] whoever has it.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
