Ecclesiastes 7:26

²⁴ That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?

²⁵ I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:

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.

²⁷ Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:

²⁸ Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a net, and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is ensnared.
KJV: 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.
WEB: 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.
ASV: 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.
DARBY: 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.
BLB: And I am finding more bitter than death the woman who, she [is] a snare and her heart [is] a net; her hands [are] bonds; The one who is good before the face of God escapes from her, and the one sinning will be captured by her.

ÅB: Og jeg fant noe som er bitrere enn døden: kvinnen - hun er et garn og hennes hjerte en snare, og hennes hender er lenker; den som tekkes Gud, slipper fra henne, men synderen blir fanget av henne.
OTB: Jeg finner mer bittert enn døden den kvinnen som fanger, hvis hjerte er en felle og hvis hender er lenker. Den mannen som behager Gud vil unnslippe henne, men synderen vil hun fange.
B1930: Og jeg fant noget som er bitrere enn døden: kvinnen - hun er et garn og hennes hjerte en snare, og hennes hender er lenker; den som tekkes Gud, slipper fra henne, men synderen blir fanget av henne.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Proverbs 22:14
The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.
Read in context
Proverbs 5:3–5
For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:
Read in context
Proverbs 2:16
To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;
Read in context
Proverbs 2:18–19
For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.
Read in context
Ecclesiastes 2:26
For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Read in context
Proverbs 23:27–28
For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
Read in context
Proverbs 7:21–27
With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
Read in context
Judges 16:18–21
And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.
Read in context