King James Version

Ecclesiastes 7:26

And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

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Hebrew

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וּמוֹצֶ֨אumotseand comeמָצָאconjunction, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “and come”, a verb used as a describing wordH4672properly, to come forth to, i.e. appear or exist; transitively, to attain, i.e. find or acquire; figuratively, to occur, meet or be present[phrase] be able, befall, being, catch, [idiom] certainly, (cause to) come (on, to, to hand), deliver, be enough (cause to) find(-ing, occasion, out), get (hold upon), [idiom] have (here), be here, hit, be left, light (up-) on, meet (with)…אֲנִ֜יanimineאֲנִיpronoun, personal, 1st person, common, singular — “mine”H589II, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, [idiom] which, [idiom] who.מַ֣רmarbitterמַרadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “bitter”, the ordinary formH4751bitter (literally or figuratively); also (as noun) bitterness, or (adverbially) bitterly[phrase] angry, bitter(-ly, -ness), chafed, discontented, [idiom] great, heavy.מִמָּ֗וֶתmimavetfrom deadמָוֶתpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “from dead”, the ordinary formH4194death (natural or violent); concretely, the dead, their place or state (hades); figuratively, pestilence, ruin(be) dead(-ly), death, die(-d).אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).הָֽאִשָּׁה֙haishahthe eachאִשָּׁהdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the each”, the ordinary formH802a woman(adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.אֲשֶׁרasherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, relative — “because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…הִ֨יאhias for herהוּאpronoun, personal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “as for her”H1931he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or arehe, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.מְצוֹדִ֧יםmetsodimnetמָצוֹדnoun, common, both genders, plural, absolute — “net”, the ordinary formH4685a net (for capturing animals or fishes); afastness or (beseiging) towerbulwark, hold, munition, net, snare.וַחֲרָמִ֛יםvacharamimand netחֵרֶםconjunction, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “and net”, the ordinary formH2764physical (as shutting in) a net (either literally or figuratively); usually a doomed object; abstractly extermination(ac-) curse(-d, -d thing), dedicated thing, things which should have been utterly destroyed, (appointed to) utter destruction, devoted (thing), net.לִבָּ֖הּlibahcomfortablyלֵבnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “comfortably”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3820the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything[phrase] care for, comfortably, consent, [idiom] considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart(-ed), [idiom] heed, [idiom] I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), [idiom] regard(-ed), [idiom]…אֲסוּרִ֣יםasurimbandאֵסוּרnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “band”, the ordinary formH612a bond (especially manacles of a prisoner)band, [phrase] prison.יָדֶ֑יהָyadeyhahandיָדnoun, common, both genders, dual, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “hand”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3027a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, […ט֞וֹבtovgoodטוֹבadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “good”, the ordinary formH2896good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, [idiom] fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, [idiom] most, pleasant,…לִפְנֵ֤יlifneto a- foreפָּנִיםpreposition, noun, common, both genders, plural, construct — “to a- fore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…הָאֱלֹהִים֙haelohimthe Godאֱלֹהִיםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the God”, the ordinary formH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.יִמָּלֵ֣טyimaletescapeמָלַטverb, niphal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “escape”, an unfinished actionH4422properly, to be smooth, i.e. (by implication) to escape (as if by slipperiness); causatively, to release or rescue; specifically, to bring forth young, emit sparksdeliver (self), escape, lay, leap out, let alone, let go, preserve, save, [idiom] speedily, [idiom] surely.מִמֶּ֔נָּהmimenahfromמִןpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “from”H4480properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many sensesabove, after, among, at, because of, by (reason of), from (among), in, [idiom] neither, [idiom] nor, (out) of, over, since, [idiom] then, through, [idiom] whether, with.וְחוֹטֵ֖אvechoteand by faultחָטָאconjunction, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “and by fault”, a verb used as a describing wordH2398properly, to miss; hence (figuratively and generally) to sin; by inference, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, (causatively) lead astray, condemnbear the blame, cleanse, commit (sin), by fault, harm he hath done, loss, miss, (make) offend(-er), offer for sin, purge, purify (self), make reconciliation, (cause, make) sin(-ful, -ness), trespass.יִלָּ֥כֶדyilakhedcatchלָכַדverb, niphal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “catch”, an unfinished actionH3920to catch (in a net, trap or pit); generally, to capture or occupy; also to choose (by lot); figuratively, to cohere[idiom] at all, catch (self), be frozen, be holden, stick together, take.בָּֽהּbahinבָּֽהּpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “in”in

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

and I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands; whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

Young’s Literal Translation

And I am finding more bitter than death, the woman whose heart [is] nets and snares, her hands [are] bands; the good before God escapeth from her, but the sinner is captured by her.

World English Bible

I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.

Darby Translation

and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is nets and snares, [and] whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.

Douay-Rheims

I have surveyed all things with my mind, to know, and consider, and seek out wisdom and reason: and to know the wickedness of the fool, and the error of the imprudent:

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

and I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands; whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And I find her to be , and I will pronounce to be more bitter than death the woman which is a snare, and her heart nets, who has a band in her hands: he that is good in the sight of God shall be delivered from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εὑρίσκω ἐγὼ αὐτὴν, καὶ ἐρῶ πικρότερον ὑπὲρ θάνατον· σὺν τὴν γυναῖκα ἥτις ἐστι θήρευμα, καὶ σαγῆναι καρδία αὐτῆς, δεσμὸς εἰς χεῖρας αὐτῆς· ἀγαθὸς πρὸ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐξαιρεθήσεται ἀπʼ αὐτῆς, καὶ ἁμαρτάνων συλληφθήσεται ἐν αὐτῇ.