Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.
A good name is better than precious oil, and the day of death, better than the day of one's birth.
2 It is better to enter a house of mourning than a house of feasting, since death is the end of every man, and the living should take this to heart.
It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; inasmuch as that is the end of all men: and let the living lay it to his heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart.
Better is vexation than laughing; for through the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of joy.
5 It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than that a man should hear the song of fools.
6 For like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. Also this is vanity.
7 Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
For [exercising] oppression maketh a wise man mad; and bribery corrupteth the heart.
8 The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one.
Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: better is the patient in spirit than the proud in spirit.
9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.
Be not rash in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in bosom of fools.
10 Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is unwise of you to ask about this.
Thou must not say, How was it that the former days were better than these? for it is not out of wisdom that thou askest concerning this.
11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun.
Wisdom is better than an inheritance, yea, preferable for those that see the sun;
12 For wisdom, like money, is a shelter, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.
For under the shadow of wisdom [a man is equally well as] under the shadow of money; but the superior excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to him that possesseth it.
13 Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent?
Consider [then] the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?
14 In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider this: God has made one of these along with the other, so that a man cannot discover anything that will come after him.
On the day of prosperity be happy, but on the day of adversity look on: also this hath God made in equal measure with the other, to the end that man should not find the least to censure him.
15 In my futile life I have seen both of these: A righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.
All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is many a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is many a wicked man that liveth long in his wickedness.—
16 Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
Be not righteous over much; neither show thyself over wise: why wouldst thou destroy thyself?
17 Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?
Be not wicked over much, and be no fool: why wouldst thou die before thy time?
18 It is good to grasp the one and not let the other slip from your hand. For he who fears God will follow both warnings.
It is good that thou shouldst take hold of that, and that also from this thou withdraw not thy hand; for he that feareth God will come forth out of them all.
19 Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.
Wisdom giveth more strength to the wise than ten rulers which were in the city.
20 Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
For no man is so righteous upon earth, that he should do always good, and never sin.—
21 Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you.
Also take no heed unto all the words that are spoken: lest thou hear thy servant cursing thee.
22 For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
For oftentimes also doth thy own heart know that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.—
23 All this I tested by wisdom, saying, “I resolve to be wise.” But it was beyond me.
All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
24 What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it?
Far is what formerly was so, and what was deep remaineth deep: who can find it out?
25 I directed my mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and explanations, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of madness.
Then I turned myself about together with my heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and experience, and to know the wickedness of folly, and the foolishness of madness.
26 And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a net, and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is ensnared.
And I find as more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are bonds: he that is deemed good before God will escape from her; but the sinner will be caught by her.
27 “Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation.
Behold, this have I found, saith Koheleth, [adding] one to the other, to find experience,
28 While my soul was still searching but not finding, among a thousand I have found one upright man, but among all these I have not found one such woman.
What my soul constantly sought, but I found it not; one man among a thousand did I find; but a woman among all these did I not find.
29 Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made men upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”
Lo, this only did I find, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought for many [sinful] devices.
