Ecclesiastes 3:17

3:17 I thought to myself, “God will judge both the righteous and the wicked;

for there is an appropriate time for every activity,

and there is a time of judgment ¹  for every deed.

Ecclesiastes 7:21

7:21 Also, do not pay attention to everything that people ²  say;

otherwise, ³  you might even hear ⁴  your servant cursing you.

[3:17]  ¹ tn The phrase “a time of judgment” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[7:21]  ² tn Heb “they”; the referent (people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:21]  ³ tn Heb “so that you do not hear…”; or “lest you hear….”

[7:21]  ⁴ tn The imperfect tense verb תִשְׁמַע (tishma’; from שָׁמַע [shama’, “to hear”]) functions in a modal sense, denoting possibility: “you might hear” (see IBHS 508 §31.4e).