Ecclesiastes 7:16

Read in context

Ecclesiastes 7:14–18 · Berean Standard Bible

14 In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider this: God has made one of these along with the other, so that a man cannot discover anything that will come after him.

15 In my futile life I have seen both of these: A righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.

16 Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

17 Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?

18 It is good to grasp the one and not let the other slip from your hand. For he who fears God will follow both warnings.

Hebrew words

Data created by STEPBible.org based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Study Ecclesiastes 7:16

Read the commentary on Ecclesiastes 7

Cross-references

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge lists these related verses. Scripture text comes from the Berean Standard Bible.

Proverbs 25:16

If you find honey, eat just what you need, lest you have too much and vomit it up.

Matthew 6:1

“Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

Matthew 6:2

So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward.

Matthew 6:3

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

Matthew 6:4

so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:5

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward.

Matthew 6:6

But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:7

And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard.

Matthew 9:14

At that time John’s disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast so often, but Your disciples do not fast?”

Matthew 15:2

“Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”

Matthew 15:3

Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?

Matthew 15:4

For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’

Matthew 15:5

But you say that if anyone says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’

Matthew 15:6

he need not honor his father or mother with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.

Matthew 15:7

You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you:

Matthew 15:8

‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.

Matthew 15:9

They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”

Matthew 23:5

All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.

Matthew 23:23

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

Matthew 23:24

You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

Matthew 23:29

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous.

Luke 18:12

I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire.’

Romans 10:2

For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge.

Philippians 3:6

as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to righteousness in the law, faultless.

1 Timothy 4:3

They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from certain foods that God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

Ecclesiastes 12:12

And by these, my son, be further warned: There is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body.

Genesis 3:6

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.

Job 11:12

But a witless man can no more become wise than the colt of a wild donkey can be born a man!

Job 28:28

And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

Proverbs 23:4

Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself.

Romans 11:25

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.

Romans 12:3

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you.

1 Corinthians 3:18

Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.

1 Corinthians 3:20

And again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”

Colossians 2:18

Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you with speculation about what he has seen. Such a person is puffed up without basis by his unspiritual mind.

Colossians 2:23

Such restrictions indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-prescribed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body; but they are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

James 3:13

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

James 3:14

But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth.

James 3:15

Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

James 3:16

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice.

James 3:17

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.

Matthew 23:38

Look, your house is left to you desolate.

Revelation 18:19

Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, where all who had ships on the sea were enriched by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been destroyed.”