Ecclesiastes 7:14 (KJV)

Passage

In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

Nearby Context

Ecclesiastes 7:12 For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

Ecclesiastes 7:13 Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?

Ecclesiastes 7:14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

Ecclesiastes 7:15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.

Ecclesiastes 7:16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself ?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "prosperity", "joyful", "adversity", "consider", "hath", "over", "against", and "other". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "prosperity" and "joyful", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "Consider the work of God for who..." into verse 15's "All things have I seen in the...", so "prosperity" and "joyful" 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 "prosperity" and "joyful" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.