Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than precious oil, and the day of death, than the day of birth.
Better [is] a name than good perfume, And the day of death than the day of birth.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting. For that is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to his heart.
Better to go to a house of mourning, Than to go to a house of banqueting, For that is the end of all men, And the living lays [it] to his heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter, for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made glad.
Better [is] sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becomes better.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
The heart of the wise [is] in a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of a wise man, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
Better to hear a rebuke of a wise man, Than [for] a man to hear a song of fools,
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
For as the noise of thorns under the pot, So [is] the laughter of a fool, even this [is] vanity.
7 Surely oppression makes the wise man foolish, and a bribe destroys the understanding.
Surely oppression makes the wise mad, And a gift destroys the heart.
8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning of it. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Better [is] the latter end of a thing than its beginning, Better [is] the patient of spirit, than the haughty of spirit.
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry, For anger in the bosom of fools rests.
10 Say thou not, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? For thou do not inquire wisely concerning this.
Do not say, “What was it, That the former days were better than these?” For you have not asked wisely of this.
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, yea, it is more excellent for those who see the sun.
Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance, And an advantage [it is] to those beholding the sun.
12 For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense. But the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
For wisdom [is] a defense, money [is] a defense, And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom [is], She revives her possessors.
13 Consider the work of God. For who can make that straight, which he has made crooked?
See the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He made crooked?
14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider. Yea, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.
In a day of prosperity be in gladness, And in a day of calamity consider: God has also made this alongside of that, To the intent that man does not find anything after him.
15 All this I have seen in my days of vanity. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evil-doing.
The whole I have considered in the days of my vanity. There is a righteous one perishing in his righteousness, and there is a wrongdoer prolonging [himself] in his wrong.
16 Be not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise. Why should thou destroy thyself?
Do not be over-righteous, nor show yourself too wise, why are you desolate?
17 Do not much wrong, nor be thou a fool. Why should thou die before thy time?
Do not do much wrong, neither be a fool, why do you die within your time?
18 It is good that thou should take hold of this, yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand. For he who fears God shall come forth from them all.
[It is] good that you lay hold on this, and also, do not withdraw your hand from that, for whoever is fearing God goes out with them all.
19 Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers that are in a city.
The wisdom gives strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.
20 Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth that does good, and sins not.
Because there is not a righteous man on earth that does good and does not sin.
21 Also do not take heed to all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.
Also to all the words that they speak do not give your heart, that you do not hear your servant reviling you.
22 For many times also thine own heart knows that thou thyself likewise have cursed others.
For many times also has your heart known that you yourself have also reviled others.
23 All this I have proved in wisdom. I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me.
All this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, “I am wise,” and it [is] far from me.
24 That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?
Far off [is] that which has been, and deep, deep, who finds it?
25 I turned about, and my heart was set to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the reason of things, and to know that wickedness is folly, and that foolishness is madness.
I have turned around, also my heart, to know and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and reason, and to know the wrong of folly, and the madness of foolishness.
26 And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are chains. He who pleases God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be taken by her.
And I am finding more bitter than death, the woman whose heart [is] nets and snares, her hands [are] bands; the good before God escapes from her, but the sinner is captured by her.
27 Behold, I have found this, says the Preacher, laying one thing to another, to find out the account,
See, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason
28 which my soul still seeks, but I have not found: among a thousand I have found one man, but among all those I have not found a woman.
(that still my soul had sought, and I had not found), One man, a teacher, I have found, and a woman among all these I have not found.
29 Behold, this only I have found: That God made man upright, but they have sought out many contrivances.
See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they have sought out many inventions.
