7:3a Sorrow is better than laughter,

There is more benefit to being troubled than to being happy.
-or-
To be sad is better for you than to laugh all the time.
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It is better to be sad than it is to be happy. (EASY2015)

7:3b for a sad countenance is good for the heart.

⌊It is⌋ because sadness has a good effect on life.
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We learn more about ourselves when we are sad. (EASY2015)

7:3a-b (combined)

Sadness has a good effect on life. Therefore, there is more benefit to being troubled than to being happy.
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Sorrow is better than laughter, because sober reflection is good for the heart. (NET Bible)

© 2006 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

8:6a For there is a right time and procedure to every purpose,

Everything ⌊happens⌋ according to the proper time and plan of action.
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For there is a time and a way for everything. (English Standard Version)
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Thereʼs a proper time and way for people to do everything. (New International Reader’s Version)

8:6b though a man’s misery weighs heavily upon him.

However, people are ⌊still⌋ oppressed by troubles.
-or-
Yet people often have many troubles.
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But trouble comes to people anyway. (EEB)

© 2006 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

10:3a Even as the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking,

Also every fool has a lifelong habit of senseless ⌊behavior⌋ .
-or-
Fools show how foolish they are, just walking down the road. (English Easy-to-Read Version)
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Fools show their stupidity by the way they live. (Contemporary English Version)

10:3b and he shows everyone that he is a fool.

Thus he shows everyone what a fool he is.
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They let everyone know that they are fools.
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They walk ⌊and live as if they are saying,⌋ “I am a fool!”

© 2006 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

12:5a when men fear the heights

⌊Remember him before⌋ you will be afraid of heights.
-or-
It is difficult for old people to go uphill,
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You will be afraid of high places, (Good News Translation)

12:5b and dangers of the road,

And ⌊remember him before⌋ you are afraid of dangers along the road.
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and they are terrified of being attacked in the street.
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and walking will be dangerous. (Good News Translation)

12:5a-b (combined)

⌊Remember your Creator before⌋ you will be afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets.
-or-
You will be afraid to climb up a hill or walk down a road. (Contemporary English Version)

12:5c when the almond tree blossoms,

Remember your Creator before the almond trees have buds on them. (New International Reader’s Version)
-or-
Your hair will turn white. (Good News Translation)
-or-
When you are old, your hair will become white, like the flowers on an almond tree. (EEB)

12:5d the grasshopper loses its spring,

⌊Remember him before⌋ you feel lifeless and drag along like an old grasshopper.
-or-
You will hardly be able to drag yourself along,
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You will feel too tired to move yourself, like an old grasshopper. (EEB)

12:5e and the caper berry shrivels—

(New American Standard Bible🙂 and the caper berry is ineffective.

⌊Remember him before⌋ you no longer have sexual desire.
-or-
with no appetite for anything.
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You will not want to have sex. (EEB)

12:5c-e (combined)

⌊Remember him before⌋ you are afraid to climb up a steep hill and to walk along a road. ⌊Remember him before⌋ your hair becomes white. It will be like white flowers on a bush. You will feel very tired all the time. And you will not want to have sex any longer.
-or-

⌊It is the time⌋ when people find it difficult to go uphill. They are afraid of dangers in the streets. Their hair turns white like flowers on a tree. They walk slowly like an ⌊old⌋ grasshopper and have no interest in anything anymore.

12:5f for then man goes to his eternal home

Everyone goes to their eternal dwelling
-or-
You are going to your final resting place.
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Finally, we will all die and go to our home in the ground. (EEB)

12:5g and mourners walk the streets

and the mourners are assembling in the street.
-or-
The mourners will gather in the streets as they carry your body to the grave. (English Easy-to-Read Version)
-or-
Many people will weep at our funeral. (EEB)

© 2006 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.