Ecclesiastes 7:18 (DRB)

Passage

Be not overmuch wicked: and be not foolish, lest thou die before thy time.

Nearby Context

Ecclesiastes 7:16 These things also I saw in the days of my vanity: A just man perisheth in his justice, and a wicked man liveth a long time in his wickedness.

Ecclesiastes 7:17 Be not over just: and be not more wise than is necessary, lest thou become stupid.

Ecclesiastes 7:18 Be not overmuch wicked: and be not foolish, lest thou die before thy time.

Ecclesiastes 7:19 It is good that thou shouldst hold up the just, yea and from him withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God, neglecteth nothing.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 Wisdom hath strengthened the wise more than ten princes of the city.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "overmuch", "wicked", "foolish", "lest", "thou", "before", and "time". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "overmuch" and "wicked", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "Be not over just and be not..." into verse 19's "It is good that thou shouldst hold...", so "overmuch" and "wicked" belong inside that flow. In Ecclesiastes context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "overmuch" and "wicked" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.