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Ecclesiastes 7:1-29 (NIV2010)

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¹ A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. ² It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart. ³ Frustration is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. ⁴ The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure. ⁵ It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools. ⁶ Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless. ⁷ Extortion turns a wise person into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart. ⁸ The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. ⁹ Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools. ¹⁰ Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these?" For it is not wise to ask such questions. ¹¹ Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun. ¹² Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it. ¹³ Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? ¹⁴ When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future. ¹⁵ In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: the righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness. ¹⁶ ¹⁷ ¹⁸ It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes. ¹⁹ Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful than ten rulers in a city. ²⁰ Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins. ²¹ ²² for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others. ²³ ²⁴ ²⁵ So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly. ²⁶ I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare. ²⁷ ²⁸ ²⁹ This only have I found: God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of many schemes."

This passage relates to the following topic(s):
(v. 3) Heart - Sad face is good for the heart
(v. 8) Patience / Perseverance / Standing Firm - Better than pride
(v. 18) Fear - Man who fears God will avoid all [extremes]
(v. 20) Sin / Wickedness / Satan - This is no one that never sins
(v. 29) Goodness / Good - God made man upright
(v. 29) Sin / Wickedness / Satan - Men have gone in search of many schemes

This passage is referenced in the following quiet time(s):
(v. 20) Old Testament - Sin (2011-03-30)

Definition(s):
So (Soh):