Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.
Better a name, than precious ointment, —and the day of death, 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.
Better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of banqueting, for, that, is the end of all men, —and, the living, should take it to his heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart.
Better is grief than laughter, —for, by the marring of the face, amended is the heart.
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 dullards, in the house of mirth.
5 It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.
Better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for any man to hear the song of dullards,
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 dullard, —even this, then, was vanity.
7 Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
For, oppression, maddeneth the wise, —and a bribe, destroyeth the understanding.
8 The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one.
Better the latter end of a thing, than the beginning thereof, —Better a patient spirit, than a haughty spirit.
9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.
Do not be rash in thy spirit, to be indignant, —for, indignation, in the bosom of dullards, doth remain.
10 Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is unwise of you to ask about this.
Do not say, What hath happened, that, the former days, were better than these? for, not wisely, askest thou concerning this.
11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun.
Good is wisdom, with an inheritance, —and a profit, to such as 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, a protection, is wisdom, and, a protection, is silver, —but, the advantage of knowledge, is, that, wisdom, giveth life to the possessors thereof.
13 Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent?
Consider the work of God, —for who can straighten what he hath bent?
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.
In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but, in the day of misfortune, consider, —Even the one equally with the other, hath God made, to the end man might find out—after him—nothing.
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.
Everything, had I seen, in my days of vanity, —Here was a righteous man, perishing in his righteousness, and there was a lawless man, continuing long in his wickedness.
16 Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
Do not become so very righteous, neither count thyself wise beyond measure, —wherefore shouldst thou destroy thyself?
17 Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?
Do not be so very lawless, neither become thou foolish, —wherefore shouldst 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 well that thou shouldst lay fast hold of this, but, even from the other, do not withdraw thy hand, —for, he that revereth God, shall come forth out of them all.
19 Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.
Wisdom, bringeth more strength to a wise man, than ten heroes, that are in the city.
20 Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
For, as for men, there is none righteous in the earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
21 Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you.
Moreover, not to all the words which men speak, do thou apply thy heart, —lest thou hear thine own servant reviling thee!
22 For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
For truly, many times, thy heart knoweth, —that, even thou thyself, hast reviled 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, that, was far from me.
24 What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it?
Far away, is that which hath been, —and deep, 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.
Resolved, I, in my heart, to know and search out, and to seek wisdom, and a conclusion, —and to know lawlessness [to be] stupidity, and folly to be 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.
I, could indeed find, to be, more bitter than death, the woman, whose heart is, snares and nets, and her hands, bonds, —whoso is pleasing before God, shall escape from her, but, he that sinneth, shall be captured by her.
27 “Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation.
See! this, have I found, saith the Proclaimer [counting] one by one, to find a conclusion;
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 still sought, yet I found not, —one man out of a thousand, have I found, but, a woman among all these, have I not found.
29 Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made men upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”
Only, see, this, have I found, That God made man upright, but, they, have sought out many devices.
