King James Version

Ecclesiastes 7:17

Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?

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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.תִּרְשַׁ֥עtirshabe wickedרָשַׁעverb, qal, jussive, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “be wicked”, a wish or indirect commandH7561to be (causatively, do or declare) wrong; by implication, to disturb, violatecondemn, make trouble, vex, be (commit, deal, depart, do) wicked(-ly, -ness).הַרְבֵּ֖הharbehincreaseרָבָהverb, 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.תְּהִ֣יtehibeהָיָהverb, 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.סָכָ֑לsakhalfoolסָכָלnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “fool”, the ordinary formH5530sillyfool(-ish), sottish.לָ֥מָּהlamahto 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.תָמ֖וּתtamutdieמוּתverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “die”, an unfinished actionH4191to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill[idiom] at all, [idiom] crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), [idiom] must needs, slay, [idiom] surely, [idiom] very suddenly, [idiom] in (no) w…בְּלֹ֥אbeloin no , -r,לֹאpreposition, particle, negative — “in no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…עִתֶּֽךָitekhawhenעֵתnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “when”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6256time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc.[phrase] after, (al-) ways, [idiom] certain, [phrase] continually, [phrase] evening, long, (due) season, so (long) as, (even-, evening-, noon-) tide, (meal-), what) time, when.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish; why shouldest thou die before thy time?

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?

Young’s Literal Translation

Do not much wrong, neither be thou a fool, why dost thou die within thy time?

World English Bible

Don’t be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time?

Darby Translation

Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?

Douay-Rheims

Be not over just: and be not more wise than is necessary, lest thou become stupid.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish; why shouldest thou die before thy time?

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Be not very wicked; and be not stubborn: lest thou shouldest die before thy time.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Μὴ ἀσεβήσῃς πολὺ, καὶ μὴ γίνου σκληρὸς, ἵνα μὴ ἀποθάνῃς ἐν οὐ καιρῷ σου.