Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.
melius est nomen bonum quam unguenta pretiosa et dies mortis die nativitatis
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.
melius est ire ad domum luctus quam ad domum convivii in illa enim finis cunctorum admonetur hominum et vivens cogitat quid futurum sit
3 Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart.
melior est ira risu quia per tristitiam vultus corrigitur animus delinquentis
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
cor sapientium ubi tristitia est et cor stultorum ubi laetitia
5 It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.
melius est a sapiente corripi quam stultorum adulatione decipi
6 For like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.
quia sicut sonitus spinarum ardentium sub olla sic risus stulti sed et hoc vanitas
7 Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
calumnia conturbat sapientem et perdet robur cordis illius
8 The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one.
melior est finis orationis quam principium melior est patiens arrogante
9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.
ne velox sis ad irascendum quia ira in sinu stulti requiescit
10 Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is unwise of you to ask about this.
ne dicas quid putas causae est quod priora tempora meliora fuere quam nunc sunt stulta est enim huiuscemodi interrogatio
11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun.
utilior est sapientia cum divitiis et magis prodest videntibus solem
12 For wisdom, like money, is a shelter, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.
sicut enim protegit sapientia sic protegit pecunia hoc autem plus habet eruditio et sapientia quod vitam tribuunt possessori suo
13 Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent?
considera opera Dei quod nemo possit corrigere quem ille despexerit
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 die bona fruere bonis et malam diem praecave sicut enim hanc sic et illam fecit Deus ut non inveniat homo contra eum iustas querimonias
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.
haec quoque vidi in diebus vanitatis meae iustus perit in iustitia sua et impius multo vivit tempore in malitia sua
16 Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
noli esse iustus multum neque plus sapias quam necesse est ne obstupescas
17 Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?
ne impie agas multum et noli esse stultus ne moriaris in tempore non tuo
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.
bonum est te sustentare iustum sed et ab illo ne subtrahas manum tuam quia qui Deum timet nihil neglegit
19 Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.
sapientia confortabit sapientem super decem principes civitatis
20 Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
non est enim homo iustus in terra qui faciat bonum et non peccet
21 Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you.
sed et cunctis sermonibus qui dicuntur ne accommodes cor tuum ne forte audias servum tuum maledicentem tibi
22 For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
scit enim tua conscientia quia et tu crebro maledixisti aliis
23 All this I tested by wisdom, saying, “I resolve to be wise.” But it was beyond me.
cuncta temptavi in sapientia dixi sapiens efficiar et ipsa longius recessit a me
24 What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it?
multo magis quam erat et alta profunditas quis inveniet eam
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.
lustravi universa animo meo ut scirem et considerarem et quaererem sapientiam et rationem et ut cognoscerem impietatem stulti et errorem inprudentium
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.
et inveni amariorem morte mulierem quae laqueus venatorum est et sagena cor eius vincula sunt manus illius qui placet Deo effugiet eam qui autem peccator est capietur ab illa
27 “Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation.
ecce hoc inveni dicit Ecclesiastes unum et alterum ut invenirem rationem
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.
quam adhuc quaerit anima mea et non inveni virum de mille unum repperi mulierem ex omnibus non inveni
29 Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made men upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”
solummodo hoc inveni quod fecerit Deus hominem rectum et ipse se infinitis miscuerit quaestionibus quis talis ut sapiens est et quis cognovit solutionem verbi
