Ecclesiastes 7:13

New Living Translation

Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he has made crooked?

Parallel Translations

Update Bible Version
Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he has made crooked?

New Century Version
Look at what God has done: No one can straighten what he has bent.

New English Translation
Consider the work of God: For who can make straight what he has bent?

Webster's Bible Translation
Consider the work of God: for who can make [that] straight, which he hath made crooked?

World English Bible
Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight, which he has made crooked?

Amplified Bible
Consider the work of God: Who can make straight what He has bent?

English Standard Version
Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Biholde thou the werkis of God, that no man may amende hym, whom God hath dispisid.

English Revised Version
Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?

Berean Standard Bible
Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent?

Contemporary English Version
Think of what God has done! If God makes something crooked, can you make it straight?

American Standard Version
Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?

Bible in Basic English
Give thought to the work of God. Who will make straight what he has made bent?

Complete Jewish Bible
Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked?

Darby Translation
Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?

Easy-to-Read Version
Look at what God has made. You cannot change a thing, even if you think it is wrong.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Consider the work of God; for who can make that straight, which He hath made crooked?

King James Version (1611)
Consider the worke of God: for who can make that straight, which hee hath made crooked?

New Life Bible
Think of the work of God, for who is able to make straight what He has not made straight?

New Revised Standard
Consider the work of God; who can make straight what he has made crooked?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Beholde the worke of God: for who can make straight that which he hath made crooked?

George Lamsa Translation
Consider the work of God; for who can straighten him who is crooked?

Good News Translation
Think about what God has done. How can anyone straighten out what God has made crooked?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Consider the work of God, - for who can straighten what he hath bent?

Douay-Rheims Bible
(7-14) Consider the works of God, that no man can correct whom he hath despised.

Revised Standard Version
Consider the work of God; who can make straight what he has made crooked?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Consider the worke of God, how that no man can make the thing straight, whiche he maketh crooked.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For wisdom in its shadow is as the shadow of silver: and the excellence of the knowledge of wisdom will give life to him that has it.

Christian Standard Bible®
Consider the work of God,for who can straighten outwhat he has made crooked?

Hebrew Names Version
Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight, which he has made crooked?

King James Version
Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?

Lexham English Bible
Consider the work of God. For who is able to make straight what he made crooked?

Literal Translation
Look at the work of God; for who can make that straight which He has bent?

Young's Literal Translation
See the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He made crooked?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Considre the worke of God, how that no man can make the thinge straight, which he maketh croked.

THE MESSAGE
Take a good look at God's work. Who could simplify and reduce Creation's curves and angles To a plain straight line?

New American Standard Bible
Consider the work of God, For who is able to straighten what He has bent?

New King James Version
Consider the work of God; For who can make straight what He has made crooked?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Consider the work of God, For who is able to straighten what He has bent?

Legacy Standard Bible
See the work of God,For who is able to straighten what He has bent?

Contextual Overview

¹¹ Wisdom is even better when you have money. Both are a benefit as you go through life. ¹² Wisdom and money can get you almost anything, but only wisdom can save your life. ¹³ Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he has made crooked? ¹⁴ Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life. ¹⁵ I have seen everything in this meaningless life, including the death of good young people and the long life of wicked people. ¹⁶ So don't be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself? ¹⁷ On the other hand, don't be too wicked either. Don't be a fool! Why die before your time? ¹⁸ Pay attention to these instructions, for anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes. ¹⁹ One wise person is stronger than ten leading citizens of a town! ²⁰ Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Consider: Job 37:14, Psalms 8:3, Psalms 107:43, Isaiah 5:12

who: Ecclesiastes 1:15, Job 9:12, Job 11:10, Job 12:14, Job 34:29, Isaiah 14:27, Isaiah 43:13, Isaiah 46:10, Isaiah 46:11, Daniel 4:35, Romans 9:15, Romans 9:19, Ephesians 1:11

Reciprocal: Ecclesiastes 8:6 - to every Ecclesiastes 9:11 - but Isaiah 42:16 - crooked Isaiah 45:7 - I make Peace Luke 12:26 - why

Cross-References

Genesis 5:32
After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 6:10
Noah was the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 6:18
But I will confirm my covenant with you. So enter the boat—you and your wife and your sons and their wives.

Genesis 7:1
When everything was ready, the Lord said to Noah, "Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I can see that you alone are righteous.

Genesis 7:2
Take with you seven pairs—male and female—of each animal I have approved for eating and for sacrifice, and take one pair of each of the others.

Genesis 7:4
Seven days from now I will make the rains pour down on the earth. And it will rain for forty days and forty nights, until I have wiped from the earth all the living things I have created."

Genesis 7:7
He went on board the boat to escape the flood—he and his wife and his sons and their wives.

Genesis 7:9
They entered the boat in pairs, male and female, just as God had commanded Noah.

Genesis 7:18
As the waters rose higher and higher above the ground, the boat floated safely on the surface.

Genesis 7:19
Finally, the water covered even the highest mountains on the earth,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Consider the work of God,.... This is dressed to those who thought the former days better than the present, and were ready to quarrel with the providence of God, Ecclesiastes 7:10; and are therefore advised to consider the work of God; not the work of creation, but of providence; which is the effect of divine sovereignty, and is conducted and directed according to the counsel of his will, and is always wisely done to answer the best ends and purposes: everything is beautiful in its season; contemplate, adore, and admire the wisdom, power, and goodness of God, displayed therein; it is such as cannot be made better, nor otherwise than it is;

for who can make [that] straight which he hath made crooked? or which seems to be so, irregular and disagreeable? No man can mend or make that better he finds fault with and complains of; nor can he alter the course of things, nor stay the hand, nor stop the providence of God: if it is his pleasure that public calamities should be in the world, or in such a part of it, as famine, pestilence, or the sword; or any affliction on families, and particular persons, or poverty and meanness in such and such individuals, there is no hindering it; whatever he has purposed and resolved, his providence effects, and there is no frustrating his designs; it signifies nothing for a creature to murmur and complain; it is best to submit to his will, for no alteration can be made but what he pleases. Some understand this of natural defects in human bodies, with which they are born, or which attend them, as blindness, lameness, c. so the Targum,

"consider the work of God, and his strength, who made the blind, the crooked, and the lame, to be wonders in the world for who can make straight one of them but the Lord of the world, who made him crooked?''

Others, of spiritual defects in such who walk in crooked ways, and are hardened in them; who can correct them, and make them other ways, if God does not give them his grace to convert them, and soften their hard hearts? he hardens whom he will, and who hath resisted his will? Jarchi's paraphrase is,

"who can make straight after death what he has made crooked in life?''

Ecclesiastes 7:10- :. Alshech interprets it of the first man Adam.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The work of God - The scheme of Divine Providence, the course of events which God orders and controls (compare Ecclesiastes 3:11). It comprises both events which are “straight,” i. e., in accordance with our expectation, and events which are “crooked,” i. e., which by their seeming inequality baffle our comprehension.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 13. Consider the work of God — Such is the nature of his providence, that it puts money into the hands of few: but wisdom is within the reach of all. The first is not necessary to happiness; therefore, it is not offered to men; the latter is; and therefore God, in his goodness, offers it to the whole human race. The former can rarely be acquired, for God puts it out of the reach of most men, and you cannot make that straight which he has made crooked; the latter may be easily attained by every person who carefully and seriously seeks it from God.