King James Version

Ecclesiastes 7:16

Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself ?

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Hebrew

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אַלalnotאַלparticle, negative — “not”H408not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothingnay, neither, [phrase] never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.תְּהִ֤יtehibeהָיָהverb, qal, jussive, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “be”, a wish or indirect commandH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.צַדִּיק֙tsadiqjustצַדִּיקadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “just”, the ordinary formH6662justjust, lawful, righteous (man).הַרְבֵּ֔הharbehincreaseרָבָהverb, hiphil, infinitive absolute — “increase”, the verb used for emphasisH7235to increase (in whatever respect)(bring in) abundance ([idiom] -antly), [phrase] archer (by mistake for H7232 (רָבַב)), be in authority, bring up, [idiom] continue, enlarge, excel, exceeding(-ly), be full of, (be, make) great(-er, -ly, [idiom] -ness), grow up, heap, incre…וְאַלvealand notאַלconjunction, particle, negative — “and not”H408not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothingnay, neither, [phrase] never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.תִּתְחַכַּ֖םtitchakambe wiseחָכַםverb, hithpael, jussive, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “be wise”, a wish or indirect commandH2449to be wise (in mind, word or act)[idiom] exceeding, teach wisdom, be (make self, shew self) wise, deal (never so) wisely, make wiser.יוֹתֵ֑רyoteroverיוֹתֵרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “over”, the ordinary formH3148properly, redundant; hence, over and above, as adjective, noun, adverb or conjunctionbetter, more(-over), over, profit.לָ֖מָּהlamahto howמָהpreposition, particle, interrogative — “to how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.תִּשּׁוֹמֵֽםtishomemmake amazedשָׁמֵםverb, hithpolel, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “make amazed”, an unfinished actionH8074to stun (or intransitively, grow numb), i.e. devastate or (figuratively) stupefy (both usually in a passive sense)make amazed, be astonied, (be an) astonish(-ment), (be, bring into, unto, lay, lie, make) desolate(-ion, places), be destitute, destroy (self), (lay, lie, make) waste, wonder.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise; why shouldest thou destroy thyself?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?

Young’s Literal Translation

Be not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise, why art thou desolate?

World English Bible

Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

Darby Translation

Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?

Douay-Rheims

These things also I saw in the days of my vanity: A just man perisheth in his justice, and a wicked man liveth a long time in his wickedness.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise; why shouldest thou destroy thyself?

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Be not very just; neither be very wise: lest thou be confounded.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Μὴ γίνου δίκαιος πολὺ, μηδὲ σοφίζου περισσὰ, μή ποτε ἐκπλαγῇς.