Ecclesiastes 7 - Prayer Tents



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Ecclesiastes 7
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Wisdom for Life

7A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume. And the day you die is better than the day you are born.H8034H2896H2896H8081H3117H4194H3117H3205 2Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies—so the living should take this to heart.H2896H3212H1004H60H3212H1004H4960H834H5490H120H2416H5414H3820 3Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us.H3708H2896H7814H7455H6440H3820H3190 4A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time.H3820H2450H1004H60H3820H3684H1004H8057 5Better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool.H2896H8085H1606H2450H376H8085H7892H3684 6A fool’s laughter is quickly gone, like thorns crackling in a fire. This also is meaningless.H6963H5518H5518H7814H3684H1892 7Extortion turns wise people into fools, and bribes corrupt the heart.H6233H2450H1984H4979H6H3820 8Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride.H2896H319H1697H7225H750H7307H2896H1362H7307 9Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.H926H7307H3707H3708H5117H2436H3684 10Don’t long for “the good old days.” This is not wise.H559H7223H3117H2896H7592H2451 11Wisdom is even better when you have money. Both are a benefit as you go through life.H2451H2896H5159H3148H7200H8121 12Wisdom and money can get you almost anything, but only wisdom can save your life.H2451H6738H3701H6738H3504H1847H2451H2421H1167 13Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he has made crooked?H7200H4639H430H3201H8626H5791 14Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life.H3117H2896H2896H3117H7451H7200H430H6213H5980H1700H120H4672H3972H310

The Limits of Human Wisdom

15I have seen everything in this meaningless life, including the death of good young people and the long life of wicked people.H7200H3117H1892H3426H6662H6H6664H7563H748H7451 16So don’t be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself?H6662H7235H3148H2449H8074 17On the other hand, don’t be too wicked either. Don’t be a fool! Why die before your time?H7235H7561H5530H4191H6256 18Pay attention to these instructions, for anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes.H2896H270H2088H3240H3027H3373H430H3318 19One wise person is stronger than ten leading citizens of a town!H2451H5810H2450H6235H7989H5892 20Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins.H6662H120H776H6213H2896H2398 21Don’t eavesdrop on others—you may hear your servant curse you.H5414H3820H1697H1696H8085H5650H7043 22For you know how often you yourself have cursed others.H6471H7227H3820H3045H7043H312 23I have always tried my best to let wisdom guide my thoughts and actions. I said to myself, “I am determined to be wise.” But it didn’t work.H2090H5254H2451H559H2449H7350 24Wisdom is always distant and difficult to find.H7350H6013H4672 25I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for things. I was determined to prove to myself that wickedness is stupid and that foolishness is madness.H5437H3820H3045H8446H1245H2451H2808H3045H7562H3689H5531H1947 26I discovered that a seductive woman is a trap more bitter than death. Her passion is a snare, and her soft hands are chains. Those who are pleasing to God will escape her, but sinners will be caught in her snare.H4672H4751H4194H802H3820H4685H2764H3027H612H2896H6440H430H4422H2398H3920 27“This is my conclusion,” says the Teacher. “I discovered this after looking at the matter from every possible angle.H7200H4672H559H6953H259H259H4672H2808 28Though I have searched repeatedly, I have not found what I was looking for. Only one out of a thousand men is virtuous, but not one woman!H5315H1245H4672H259H120H505H4672H802H4672 29But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path.”H7200H905H4672H430H6213H120H3477H1245H7227H2810


New Living Translation (NLT). Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. More details.
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