Bible in Basic English
These two have I seen in my life which is to no purpose: a good man coming to his end in his righteousness, and an evil man whose days are long in his evil-doing.
Be not given overmuch to righteousness and be not over-wise. Why let destruction come on you?
Be not evil overmuch, and be not foolish. Why come to your end before your time?
It is good to take this in your hand and not to keep your hand from that; he who has the fear of God will be free of the two.
Wisdom makes a wise man stronger than ten rulers in a town.
There is no man on earth of such righteousness that he does good and is free from sin all his days.
Do not give ear to all the words which men say, for fear of hearing the curses of your servant.
Your heart has knowledge how frequently others have been cursed by you.
All this I have put to the test by wisdom; I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me.
Far off is true existence, and very deep; who may have knowledge of it?
I gave my mind to knowledge and to searching for wisdom and the reason of things, and to the discovery that sin is foolish, and that to be foolish is to be without one's senses.
And I saw a thing more bitter than death, even the woman whose heart is full of tricks and nets, and whose hands are as bands. He with whom God is pleased will get free from her, but the sinner will be taken by her.
Look! this I have seen, said the Preacher, taking one thing after another to get the true account,
For which my soul is still searching, but I have it not; one man among a thousand have I seen; but a woman among all these I have not seen.
This only have I seen, that God made men upright, but they have been searching out all sorts of inventions.
— Ecclesiastes 7:15-1964, Bible in Basic English
“All this have I 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. Don't be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Don't be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time? It is good that you should take hold of this. Yes, also from that don't withdraw your hand; for he who fears God will come forth from them all. Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city. Surely there is not a righteous man on earth, who does good and doesn't sin. Also don't take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you; for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others. All this have I proved in wisdom. I said, "I will be wise;" but it was far from me. That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out? I 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. I 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. "Behold, I have found this," says the Preacher, "one to another, to find out the scheme; which my soul still seeks; but I have not found. One man among a thousand have I found; but I have not found a woman among all those. Behold, this only have I found: that God made man upright; but they search for many schemes."”
Wisdom keeps a man from danger even as money does; but the value of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to its owner.
Give thought to the work of God. Who will make straight what he has made bent?
In the day of wealth have joy, but in the day of evil take thought: God has put the one against the other, so that man may not be certain what will be after him.
These two have I seen in my life which is to no purpose: a good man coming to his end in his righteousness, and an evil man whose days are long in his evil-doing.
Be not given overmuch to righteousness and be not over-wise. Why let destruction come on you?
Be not evil overmuch, and be not foolish. Why come to your end before your time?
It is good to take this in your hand and not to keep your hand from that; he who has the fear of God will be free of the two.
Wisdom makes a wise man stronger than ten rulers in a town.
There is no man on earth of such righteousness that he does good and is free from sin all his days.
Do not give ear to all the words which men say, for fear of hearing the curses of your servant.
Your heart has knowledge how frequently others have been cursed by you.
All this I have put to the test by wisdom; I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me.
Far off is true existence, and very deep; who may have knowledge of it?
I gave my mind to knowledge and to searching for wisdom and the reason of things, and to the discovery that sin is foolish, and that to be foolish is to be without one's senses.
And I saw a thing more bitter than death, even the woman whose heart is full of tricks and nets, and whose hands are as bands. He with whom God is pleased will get free from her, but the sinner will be taken by her.
Look! this I have seen, said the Preacher, taking one thing after another to get the true account,
For which my soul is still searching, but I have it not; one man among a thousand have I seen; but a woman among all these I have not seen.
This only have I seen, that God made men upright, but they have been searching out all sorts of inventions.