Ecclesiastes 7:25–29

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True Righteousness and Wisdom are Virtually Nonexistent

^7:25I tried⁷⁹ to understand, examine, and comprehend⁸⁰

the role of⁸¹ wisdom in the scheme of things,⁸²

and to understand the stupidity of wickedness⁸³ and the insanity of folly.⁸⁴

^7:26I discovered this:⁸⁵

More bitter than death is the kind of⁸⁶ woman⁸⁷ who is like a hunter’s snare;⁸⁸

her heart is like a hunter’s net and her hands are like prison chains.

The man who pleases God escapes her,

but the sinner is captured by her.

^7:27The Teacher says:

I discovered this while trying to discover the scheme of things, item by item.

^7:28What I have continually sought, I have not found;

I have found only⁸⁹ one upright⁹⁰ man among a thousand,

but I have not found one upright woman among all of them.

^7:29This alone have I discovered: God made humankind upright,

but they have sought many evil schemes.

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Footnotes

79 Heb “I turned, I, even my heart.”
80 Heb “to seek.”
81 The phrase “the role of” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.
82 The phrase חָכְמָה וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן (khokhmah vékheshbon, “wisdom and the scheme of things”) is a hendiadys (a figure of speech in which two nouns connote one idea): “wisdom in the scheme of things.” This is similar to the hendiadys עִצְּבוֹנֵךְ וְהֵרֹנֵךְ (’itsévonekh véheronekh, “pain and childbearing”) which connotes “pain in childbearing” (Gen 3:16).
83 Or “the evil of folly” The genitive construct phrase רֶשַׁע כֶּסֶל (resha’ kesel) may be taken as a genitive of attribution (“the wickedness of folly”) or as a genitive of attribute (“the folly of wickedness”). The English versions treat it in various ways: “wickedness of folly” (); “wrong of folly” (); “evil of folly” (); “stupidity of wickedness” (); “wickedness, stupidity” (); “wickedness is folly [or foolish]” (, , , , ), and “it is folly to be wicked” ().
84 Or “the folly of madness” The genitive construct phrase וְהַסִּכְלוּת הוֹלֵלוֹת (véhassikhlut holelot) may be taken as a genitive of attribution (“the stupidity of wickedness”) or a genitive of attribute (“the evil of folly”). The phrase is rendered variously: “foolishness and madness” (); “foolishness of madness” (); “madness of folly” (); “madness and folly” (); “the foolishness which is madness” (); and “foolishness [or folly] is madness” (, , , , ).
85 The word “this” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.
86 The phrase “kind of” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity (see the following note on the word “woman”).
87 The article on הָאִשָּׁה (ha’ishah) functions in a particularizing sense (“the kind of woman”) rather than in a generic sense (i.e., “women”).
88 Heb “is snares.” The plural form מְצוֹדִים (métsodim, from the noun I מָצוֹד, matsod, “snare”) is used to connote either intensity, repeated or habitual action, or moral characteristic. For the function of the Hebrew plural, see §7.4.2. The term II מָצוֹד “snare” is used in a concrete sense in reference to the hunter’s snare or net, but in a figurative sense of being ensnared by someone (Job 19:6; Prov 12:12; Eccl 7:26).
89 The word “only” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.
90 The word “upright” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation twice, here and in the following line, for clarity.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness. And I find something more bitter than death: the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her. Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things— which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

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.

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.

“Look,” says the Teacher, “this is what I have discovered:

“Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things—

while I was still searching

but not finding—

I found one upright man among a thousand,

but not one upright woman among them all.

This only have I found:

God created mankind upright,

but they have gone in search of many schemes.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

I turned my thoughts to know, explore, and examine wisdom and an explanation for things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity and folly is madness. And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a trap: her heart a net and her hands chains. The one who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner will be captured by her. “Look,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find out the explanation, which my soul continually searches for but does not find: I found one person in a thousand, but none of those was a woman. Only see this: I have discovered that God made people upright, but they pursued many schemes.”

NLTNew Living Translation

I 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.

I 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.

“This is my conclusion,” says the Teacher. “I discovered this after looking at the matter from every possible angle. Though 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! But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

I set my mind to try to seek wisdom and the plan, and to know that wickedness is foolishness and that folly is delusion. I myself found that more bitter than death is the woman who is a trap, whose heart is a snare, and whose hands are bonds. The one who pleases God escapes from her, but the sinner is caught by her. “Look! I found this,” said the Teacher, “while trying to find how the plan fits together. What my heart sought, I did not find. Although I found one righteous man among one thousand, I did not find one upright woman among all these. Look! This alone I found: God made mankind upright, but they have devised many schemes.”

KJV 1900King James Version

I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness: And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her. Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account: Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found. Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

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