Ecclesiastes 7:27

World English Bible

Behold, this have I found, says the Preacher, one to another, to find out the scheme;

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
"See, I have found this," says the Preacher, "adding one thing to another to find an explanation,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Behold, I have discovered this," says the Preacher, "adding one thing to another to find an explanation,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Beholde (saith the preacher) this haue I diligently searched out and proued: One thing must be considered with another, that a man may come by knowledge, which as yet I seeke, and finde it not.

Darby Translation
See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, [searching] one by one to find out the reason;

New King James Version
"Here is what I have found," says the Preacher, "Adding one thing to the other to find out the reason,

Literal Translation
Behold, I have found this, says the Preacher, counting one by one to find out the sum,

Easy-to-Read Version
The Teacher says, "I added all this together to see what answer I could find. I am still looking for answers, but I did find this: I found one good man in a thousand. But I did not find even one good woman.

King James Version (1611)
Behold, this haue I found (saith the Preacher) counting one by one to finde out the account:

King James Version
Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Beholde (sayeth ye preacher) this haue I diligently searched out & proued, yt I might come by knowlege: which as yet I seke, and fynde it not.

Amplified Bible
"Behold, I have discovered this," says the Preacher, "while adding one thing to another to find an explanation,

American Standard Version
Behold, this have I found, saith the Preacher, laying one thing to another, to find out the account;

Bible in Basic English
Look! this I have seen, said the Preacher, taking one thing after another to get the true account,

Update Bible Version
Look, this I have found, says the Preacher, [laying] one thing to another, to find out the account;

Webster's Bible Translation
Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, [counting] one by one, to find out the account:

New English Translation
The Teacher says: I discovered this while trying to discover the scheme of things, item by item.

Contemporary English Version
With all my wisdom I have tried to find out how everything fits together,

Complete Jewish Bible
I have found this — says Kohelet — adding one thing to another to reach a conclusion,

Geneva Bible (1587)
Beholde, sayth the Preacher, this haue I found, seeking one by one to finde the count:

George Lamsa Translation
Behold, I have found this, says the Preacher, weighing one thing against another to find out the purposes,

Hebrew Names Version
Behold, this have I found, says Kohelet, one to another, to find out the scheme;

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Behold, this have I found, saith Koheleth, adding one thing to another, to find out the account;

New Living Translation
"This is my conclusion," says the Teacher. "I discovered this after looking at the matter from every possible angle.

New Life Bible
"See, I have found this out," says the Preacher. "I have added one thing to another to find the reason,

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
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.

English Revised Version
Behold, this have I found, saith the Preacher; laying one thing to another, to find out the account:

Berean Standard Bible
"Behold," says the Teacher, "I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation.

New Revised Standard
See, this is what I found, says the Teacher, adding one thing to another to find the sum,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
See! this, have I found, saith the Proclaimer counting one by one, to find a conclusion;

Douay-Rheims Bible
(7-28) Lo this have I found, said Ecclesiastes, weighing one thing after another, that I might find out the account,

Lexham English Bible
"Look! I found this," said the Teacher, "while trying to find how the plan fits together.

English Standard Version
Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things—

New American Standard Bible
"Behold, I have discovered this," says the Preacher, "by adding one thing to another to find an explanation,

New Century Version
The Teacher says, "This is what I learned: I added all these things together to find some meaning for everything.

Good News Translation
Yes, said the Philosopher, I found this out little by little while I was looking for answers.

Christian Standard Bible®
"Look," says the Teacher, "I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find out the explanation,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Lo! Y foond this, seide Ecclesiastes, oon and other, that Y schulde fynde resoun, which my soule sekith yit;

Revised Standard Version
Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, adding one thing to another to find the sum,

Young's Literal Translation
See, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason

Contextual Overview

²³ All this have I proved in wisdom. I said, "I will be wise;" but it was far from me. ²⁴ That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out? ²⁵ I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness. ²⁶ 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. ²⁷ Behold, this have I found, says the Preacher, one to another, to find out the scheme; ²⁸ which my soul still seeks; but I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found. ²⁹ Behold, this only have I found: that God made man upright; but they search for many schemes.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

saith: Ecclesiastes 1:1, Ecclesiastes 1:2, Ecclesiastes 12:8-10

counting one by one, to find out the account: or, weighing one thing after another, to find out the reason, Ecclesiastes 7:25

Reciprocal: 1 Timothy 2:7 - a preacher

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Behold, this have I found,.... That a harlot is more bitter than death; and which he found by his own experience, and therefore would have it observed by others for their caution: or one man among a thousand, Ecclesiastes 7:28;

(saith the preacher); of which title and character see Ecclesiastes 1:1; it is here mentioned to confirm the truth of what he said; he said it as a preacher, and, upon the word of a preacher, it was true; as also to signify his repentance for his sin, who was now the "gathered soul", as some render it; gathered into the church of God by repentance;

[counting] one by one, to find out the account; not his own sins, which he endeavoured to reckon up, and find out the general account of them, which yet he could not do; nor the good works of the righteous, and the sins of the wicked, which are numbered before the Lord one by one, till they are added to the great account; as Jarchi, from the Rabbins, interprets it, and so the Midrash: but rather the sense is, examining women, one by one, all within the verge of his acquaintance; particularly the thousand women that were either his wives or concubines; in order to take and give a just estimate of their character and actions. What follows is the result.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 27. Counting one by one — I have gone over every particular. I have compared one thing with another; man with woman, his wisdom with her wiles; his strength with her blandishments; his influence with her ascendancy; his powers of reason with her arts and cunning; and in a thousand men, I have found one thoroughly upright man; but among one thousand women I have not found one such. This is a lamentable account of the state of morals in Judea, in the days of the wise King Solomon. Thank God! it would not be difficult to get a tithe of both in the same number in the present day.

The Targum gives this a curious turn: - "There is another thing which my soul has sought, but could not find: a man perfect and innocent, and without corruption, from the days of Adam until Abraham the just was born; who was found faithful and upright among the thousand kings who came together to construct the tower of Babel: but a woman like to Sarah among the wives of all those kings I have not found."