New International Reader's Version

Ecclesiastes 7:24-28 New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

24. No matter what else wisdom may be, it's far away and very deep. Who can find it?

25. So I tried to understand wisdom more completely. I wanted to study it and figure it out. I tried to find out everything I could about it. I tried to understand why it's foolish to be evil. I wanted to see why choosing foolishness is so unwise.

26. A woman who hunts a man down is more painful than death. Her heart is like a trap. Her hands are like chains. A man who pleases God will try to get away from her. But she will trap a sinner.

27. "Look," says the Teacher. "Here's what I've discovered. "I added one thing to another to find out everything I could about wisdom.

28. I searched and searched but found very little. I did find one honest man among a thousand. But I didn't find one honest woman among a thousand.