Ecclesiastes 7:16 — Bible Verse (KJV)
“Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?”
Ecclesiastes 7:16 — King James Version (KJV), 1611
Ecclesiastes 7:16 in 6 Bible Translations
Read Ecclesiastes 7:16 in the King James Version (KJV) and 5 other free, public-domain translations side by side.
Ecclesiastes 7:16 WEB — World English Bible (2000)
“Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?”
Ecclesiastes 7:16 — World English Bible
Ecclesiastes 7:16 ASV — American Standard Version (1901)
“Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?”
Ecclesiastes 7:16 — American Standard Version
Ecclesiastes 7:16 YLT — Young's Literal Translation (1862)
“Be not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise, why art thou desolate?”
Ecclesiastes 7:16 — Young's Literal Translation
Ecclesiastes 7:16 DBY — Darby Translation (1890)
“Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?”
Ecclesiastes 7:16 — Darby Translation
Ecclesiastes 7:16 GEN — Geneva Bible (1599)
“In the day of wealth be of good comfort, and in the day of affliction consider: God also hath made this contrary to that, to the intent that man shoulde finde nothing after him.”
Ecclesiastes 7:16 — Geneva Bible
Ecclesiastes 7:16 in Context — Ecclesiastes 7
14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.
15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.
16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.
Read the full chapter: Ecclesiastes 7 — The Struggle with Sin — O Wretched Man That I Am →
What Does Ecclesiastes 7:16 Mean?
Ecclesiastes 7:16 is a verse from the Book of Ecclesiastes, part of the Old Testament. It appears in Ecclesiastes chapter 7. Use The Living Sword's word-by-word study mode to explore every word in the original Hebrew and Aramaic.
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