{"meta":{"source":"Prime Bible","sourceUrl":"https://primebible.com","license":"Public domain (translation text); see citation policy at /citation-policy","organization":"501(c)(3) nonprofit — EIN 41-2531951","canonicalUrl":"https://primebible.com/dbt/ecclesiastes/7","llmTxt":"https://primebible.com/llms.txt","generatedAt":"2026-05-26T22:55:25.351Z"},"reference":{"translation":"DBT","book":"Ecclesiastes","bookSlug":"ecclesiastes","chapter":7,"testament":"OLD"},"navigation":{"previousChapter":6,"nextChapter":8,"totalChapters":12,"totalVerses":29},"verses":[{"verseNumber":1,"text":"A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth."},{"verseNumber":2,"text":"It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart."},{"verseNumber":3,"text":"Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better."},{"verseNumber":4,"text":"The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth."},{"verseNumber":5,"text":"It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools."},{"verseNumber":6,"text":"For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity."},{"verseNumber":7,"text":"Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the heart."},{"verseNumber":8,"text":"Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit."},{"verseNumber":9,"text":"Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools."},{"verseNumber":10,"text":"Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this."},{"verseNumber":11,"text":"Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun."},{"verseNumber":12,"text":"For wisdom is a defence as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom maketh them that possess it to live."},{"verseNumber":13,"text":"Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?"},{"verseNumber":14,"text":"In the day of prosperity enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing of what shall be after him."},{"verseNumber":15,"text":"All this have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous man that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his days by his wickedness."},{"verseNumber":16,"text":"Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?"},{"verseNumber":17,"text":"Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?"},{"verseNumber":18,"text":"It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all."},{"verseNumber":19,"text":"Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men that are in a city."},{"verseNumber":20,"text":"Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not."},{"verseNumber":21,"text":"Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee."},{"verseNumber":22,"text":"For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others."},{"verseNumber":23,"text":"All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me."},{"verseNumber":24,"text":"Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out?"},{"verseNumber":25,"text":"I turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness;"},{"verseNumber":26,"text":"and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is nets and snares, and whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her."},{"verseNumber":27,"text":"See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, searching one by one to find out the reason;"},{"verseNumber":28,"text":"which my soul yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found."},{"verseNumber":29,"text":"Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices."}],"citation":{"inline":"Ecclesiastes 7 (DBT)","markdown":"[Ecclesiastes 7](https://primebible.com/dbt/ecclesiastes/7)","sbl":"Prime Bible. *The Bible.* DBT. https://primebible.com/dbt/ecclesiastes/7 (accessed 2026-05-26)."}}