Man

Do not make friends with an angry man, and do not associate with a hot-tempered man,

Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will be stationed in the presence of kings; he will not stand before obscure men.

Do not eat the bread of a stingy man, and do not crave his delicacies;

The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice, and he who fathers a wise son will delight in him.

A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge enhances his strength.

A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge enhances his strength.

If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,” does not He who weighs hearts consider it? Does not the One who guards your life know? Will He not repay a man according to his deeds?

Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, near the dwelling of the righteous; do not destroy his resting place.

For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times.

For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.

Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”

I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment.

Like clouds and wind without rain is the man who boasts of gifts never given.

Like a club or sword or sharp arrow is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.

Like a broken tooth or a foot out of joint is confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble.

Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.

Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who does not control his temper.

Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

…so is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”

Like charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

A hateful man disguises himself with his speech, but he lays up deceit in his heart.

Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who wanders from his home.

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

As water reflects the face, so the heart reflects the true man.

Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but a man is tested by the praise accorded him.

A land in rebellion has many rulers, but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order.

Better a poor man who walks with integrity than a rich man whose ways are perverse.

Better a poor man who walks with integrity than a rich man whose ways are perverse.

A rich man is wise in his own eyes, but a poor man with discernment sees through him.

A rich man is wise in his own eyes, but a poor man with discernment sees through him.

Blessed is the man who is always reverent, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.

A man burdened by bloodguilt will flee into the Pit; let no one support him.

A faithful man will abound with blessings, but one eager to be rich will not go unpunished.

To show partiality is not good, yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.

A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty awaits him.

He who rebukes a man will later find more favor than one who flatters with his tongue.

He who robs his father or mother, saying, “It is not wrong,” is a companion to the man who destroys.

A greedy man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.

A man who remains stiff-necked after much reproof will suddenly be shattered beyond recovery.

A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

By justice a king brings stability to the land, but a man who exacts tribute demolishes it.

A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.

An evil man is caught by his own sin, but a righteous one sings and rejoices.

If a wise man goes to court with a fool, there will be raving and laughing with no resolution.

Men of bloodshed hate a blameless man, but the upright care for his life.

A fool vents all his anger, but a wise man holds it back.

The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The LORD gives light to the eyes of both.

Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.

An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.

The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.

Many seek the ruler’s favor, but a man receives justice from the LORD.

An unjust man is detestable to the righteous, and one whose way is upright is detestable to the wicked.

These are the words of Agur son of Jakeh—the burden that this man declared to Ithiel: “I am weary, O God, and worn out.

Surely I am the most ignorant of men, and I lack the understanding of a man.

…the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship at sea, and the way of a man with a maiden.

What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun?

The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also came to realize that one fate overcomes them both.

For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, just as with the fool, seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come. Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool!

I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.

And who knows whether that man will be wise or foolish? Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked skillfully under the sun. This too is futile.

When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great evil.

When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great evil.

For what does a man get for all the toil and striving with which he labors under the sun?

Nothing is better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy his work. I have also seen that this is from the hand of God.

To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

…and also that every man should eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his labor—this is the gift of God.

For the fates of both men and beasts are the same: As one dies, so dies the other—they all have the same breath. Man has no advantage over the animals, since everything is futile.

Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and the spirit of the animal descends into the earth?

I have seen that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will come after him?

There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile—a miserable task.

The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich man permits him no sleep.

…or wealth lost in a failed venture, so when that man has a son there is nothing to pass on.

As a man came from his mother’s womb, so he will depart again, naked as he arrived. He takes nothing for his labor to carry in his hands.

This too is a grievous affliction: Exactly as a man is born, so he will depart. What does he gain as he toils for the wind?

Furthermore, God has given riches and wealth to every man, and He has enabled him to enjoy them, to accept his lot, and to rejoice in his labor. This is a gift from God.

For a man seldom considers the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.

God gives a man riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires; but God does not allow him to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger will enjoy them. This is futile and a grievous affliction.

A man may father a hundred children and live for many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he is unsatisfied with his prosperity and does not even receive a proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.

The child, though neither seeing the sun nor knowing anything, has more rest than that man,

What advantage, then, has the wise man over the fool? What gain comes to the poor man who knows how to conduct himself before others?

What advantage, then, has the wise man over the fool? What gain comes to the poor man who knows how to conduct himself before others?

Whatever exists was named long ago, and it is known what man is; but he cannot contend with one stronger than he.

For who knows what is good for a man during the few days in which he passes through his fleeting life like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will come after him under the sun?

For who knows what is good for a man during the few days in which he passes through his fleeting life like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will come after him under the sun?

It is better to enter a house of mourning than a house of feasting, since death is the end of every man, and the living should take this to heart.

Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.

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.

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.

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.

Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.

Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a net, and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is ensnared.

While my soul was still searching but not finding, among a thousand I have found one upright man, but among all these I have not found one such woman.

Who is like the wise man? Who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed.

As no man has power over the wind to contain it, so no one has authority over his day of death. As no one can be discharged in wartime, so wickedness will not release those who practice it.

All this I have seen, applying my mind to every deed that is done under the sun; there is a time when one man lords it over another to his own detriment.

So I commended the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be merry. For this joy will accompany him in his labor during the days of his life that God gives him under the sun.

I saw every work of God, and that a man is unable to comprehend the work that is done under the sun. Despite his efforts to search it out, he cannot find its meaning; even if the wise man claims to know, he is unable to comprehend.