< Ecclesiastes 7 >

1 A good name is better than oil of great price, and the day of death than the day of birth.
A good reputation is better than expensive perfume, and the day you die is better than the day you were born.
2 It is better to go to the house of weeping, than to go to the house of feasting; because that is the end of every man, and the living will take it to their hearts.
It's better to go to a funeral than to a party. In the end, everyone dies, and those who are still alive should think about it.
3 Sorrow is better than joy; when the face is sad the mind gets better.
Sorrow is better than laughter, for tragedy helps us by making us think.
4 The hearts of the wise are in the house of weeping; but the hearts of the foolish are in the house of joy.
Wise people think about the impact of death, while those who are fools only think about having a good time.
5 It is better to take note of the protest of the wise, than for a man to give ear to the song of the foolish.
It's better to listen to criticism from a wise person than to hear the song of fools.
6 Like the cracking of thorns under a pot, so is the laugh of a foolish man; and this again is to no purpose.
The laughter of fools is like the crackling of thorn twigs burning under a pot—without sense and quickly over.
7 The wise are troubled by the ways of the cruel, and the giving of money is the destruction of the heart.
Extorting money from others makes wise people into fools, and accepting bribes corrupts the mind.
8 The end of a thing is better than its start, and a gentle spirit is better than pride.
Completing something is better than starting it. Being patient is better than being proud.
9 Be not quick to let your spirit be angry; because wrath is in the heart of the foolish.
Don't be quick to get angry, for anger controls the minds of fools.
10 Say not, Why were the days which have gone by better than these? Such a question comes not from wisdom.
Don't ask, “Why were the good old days better than now?” Asking such questions shows you are not wise.
11 Wisdom together with a heritage is good, and a profit to those who see the sun.
Wisdom is good—it's like receiving an inheritance. It benefits everyone in life.
12 Wisdom keeps a man from danger even as money does; but the value of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to its owner.
For wisdom provides security, as does money, but the advantage for those who have wisdom is that they are kept safe and sound!
13 Give thought to the work of God. Who will make straight what he has made bent?
Think about what God does. If he makes something bent, you can't straighten it!
14 In the day of wealth have joy, but in the day of evil take thought: God has put the one against the other, so that man may not be certain what will be after him.
On a good day, be happy. When a bad day comes, stop and think. God made each day, so you don't know what will happen to you next.
15 These two have I seen in my life which is to no purpose: a good man coming to his end in his righteousness, and an evil man whose days are long in his evil-doing.
Throughout my life I've seen so much that is hard to understand. Good people who die young despite doing what is right, and wicked people who live long evil lives.
16 Be not given overmuch to righteousness and be not over-wise. Why let destruction come on you?
Don't think you can make yourself right by a lot of religious observance, and don't pretend to be so wise. Do you want to destroy yourself?
17 Be not evil overmuch, and be not foolish. Why come to your end before your time?
On the other hand, don't decide to live an evil life—don't be a fool! Why die before your time?
18 It is good to take this in your hand and not to keep your hand from that; he who has the fear of God will be free of the two.
You ought to keep in mind these warnings. Those who follow God will be sure to avoid both.
19 Wisdom makes a wise man stronger than ten rulers in a town.
Wisdom gives a wise person greater power than ten town councilors.
20 There is no man on earth of such righteousness that he does good and is free from sin all his days.
There's not one good person in all the world who always does what is right and never sins.
21 Do not give ear to all the words which men say, for fear of hearing the curses of your servant.
Don't take to heart everything that people say, otherwise you may hear your servant talking badly about you,
22 Your heart has knowledge how frequently others have been cursed by you.
for you know how many times you yourself have talked badly about others!
23 All this I have put to the test by wisdom; I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me.
I have examined all this using the principles of wisdom. I told myself, “I will think wisely.” But wisdom eluded me.
24 Far off is true existence, and very deep; who may have knowledge of it?
Everything that exists is beyond our grasp—too deep for our understanding. Who can comprehend it?
25 I gave my mind to knowledge and to searching for wisdom and the reason of things, and to the discovery that sin is foolish, and that to be foolish is to be without one's senses.
I turned my thoughts to discover, investigate, and to find out more about wisdom and what makes sense. I wanted to know more about how stupid evil really is, and how ridiculous it is to be a fool.
26 And I saw a thing more bitter than death, even the woman whose heart is full of tricks and nets, and whose hands are as bands. He with whom God is pleased will get free from her, but the sinner will be taken by her.
I discovered something more horrible than death: foolishness like a woman who tries to entrap you, who wants to use her mind and hands to catch you and tie you up. Those who follow God will not be caught, but sinners will fall into her trap.
27 Look! this I have seen, said the Preacher, taking one thing after another to get the true account,
This is what I discovered after putting two and two together to try and find out what it all meant, says the Teacher.
28 For which my soul is still searching, but I have it not; one man among a thousand have I seen; but a woman among all these I have not seen.
Although I really searched, I didn't find what I was looking for. People say, “I found one man among a thousand, but not one woman.”
29 This only have I seen, that God made men upright, but they have been searching out all sorts of inventions.
But I did find this one thing: God made people to do what's right, but they have followed their own ideas.

< Ecclesiastes 7 >