Ecclesiastes 7:21 (KJV)

Passage

Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:

Nearby Context

Ecclesiastes 7:19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

Ecclesiastes 7:21 Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:

Ecclesiastes 7:22 For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

Ecclesiastes 7:23 All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "take", "heed", "words", "spoken", "lest", "thou", "hear", and "servant". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "take" and "heed", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "For there is not a just man..." into verse 22's "For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth...", so "take" and "heed" 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 "take" and "heed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.