Ecclesiastes 7:21-22

Context

7:21 Also, do not pay attention to everything that people¹ say;

otherwise,² you might even hear³ your servant cursing you.

7:22 For you know in your own heart⁴

that you also have cursed others many times.

[7:21] ¹tn Heb “they”; the referent (people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:21] ²tn Heb “so that you do not hear…”; or “lest you hear….”

[7:21] ³tn 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).

[7:22] ⁴tn Heb “your heart knows.”