Parallel Verses
Bible in Basic English
Say not, Why were the days which have gone by better than these? Such a question comes not from wisdom.
New American Standard Bible
For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.
King James Version
Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
Holman Bible
since it is not wise of you to ask this.
International Standard Version
Never ask "Why does the past seem so much better than now?" because this question does not come from wisdom.
A Conservative Version
Say thou not, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? For thou do not inquire wisely concerning this.
American Standard Version
Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
Amplified
Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?”
For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.
Darby Translation
Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
Julia Smith Translation
Thou shalt not say, Why was it the former days were good above these? for thou didst not ask from wisdom concerning this
King James 2000
Say you not, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for you do not inquire wisely concerning this.
Lexham Expanded Bible
Do not say, "Why were the former days better than these?" For [it is] not from wisdom [that] you ask this.
Modern King James verseion
Do not say, Why was it that the former days were better than these? For you do not ask wisely in regard to this.
Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale
Say not thou, "What is the cause that the days of the old time were better than they that be now?" For that were no wise question.
NET Bible
Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these days?" for it is not wise to ask that.
New Heart English Bible
Do not say, "Why were the former days better than these?" For you do not ask wisely about this.
The Emphasized Bible
Do not say, What hath happened, that, the former days, were better than these? for, not wisely, askest thou concerning this.
Webster
Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
World English Bible
Don't say, "Why were the former days better than these?" For you do not ask wisely about this.
Youngs Literal Translation
Say not thou, 'What was it, That the former days were better than these?' For thou hast not asked wisely of this.
Interlinear
Ri'shown
Yowm
Towb
Sha'al
References
Hastings
Word Count of 20 Translations in Ecclesiastes 7:10
Verse Info
Context Readings
Wisdom'Although Vulnerable'Is Beneficial
9 Be not quick to let your spirit be angry; because wrath is in the heart of the foolish. 10 Say not, Why were the days which have gone by better than these? Such a question comes not from wisdom. 11 Wisdom together with a heritage is good, and a profit to those who see the sun.
Phrases
Names
Cross References
Genesis 6:11-12
And the earth was evil in God's eyes and full of violent ways.
Judges 6:13
Then Gideon said to him, O my lord, if the Lord is with us why has all this come on us? And where are all his works of power, of which our fathers have given us word, saying, Did not the Lord take us out of Egypt? But now he has given us up, handing us over to the power of Midian.
Psalm 14:2-3
The Lord was looking down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there were any who had wisdom, searching after God.
Isaiah 50:1
This is the word of the Lord: Where is the statement which I gave your mother when I put her away? or to which of my creditors have I given you for money? It was for your sins that you were given into the hands of others, and for your evil-doing was your mother put away.
Jeremiah 44:17-19
But we will certainly do every word which has gone out of our mouths, burning perfumes to the queen of heaven and draining out drink offerings to her as we did, we and our fathers and our kings and our rulers, in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then we had food enough and did well and saw no evil.
Romans 1:22-32
Seeming to be wise, they were in fact foolish,
Romans 3:9-19
What then? are we worse off than they? In no way: because we have before made it clear that Jews as well as Greeks are all under the power of sin;