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 name is better than precious oil, and the day of death, better than the day of one's birth.

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 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 joy; when the face is sad the mind gets better.

Better is vexation than laughing; for through the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

4 The hearts of the wise are in the house of weeping; but the hearts of the foolish are in the house of joy.

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 take note of the protest of the wise, than for a man to give ear to the song of the foolish.

It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than that a man should 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.

For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. Also this is vanity.

7 The wise are troubled by the ways of the cruel, and the giving of money is the destruction of the heart.

For [exercising] oppression maketh a wise man mad; and bribery corrupteth the heart.

8 The end of a thing is better than its start, and a gentle spirit is better than pride.

Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: better is the patient in spirit than the proud in spirit.

9 Be not quick to let your spirit be angry; because wrath is in the heart of the foolish.

Be not rash in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in bosom of fools.

10 Say not, Why were the days which have gone by better than these? Such a question comes not from wisdom.

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 together with a heritage is good, and a profit to those who see the sun.

Wisdom is better than an inheritance, yea, preferable for those that see the sun;

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 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 Give thought to the work of God. Who will make straight what he has made bent?

Consider [then] the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?

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 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 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.

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 Be not given overmuch to righteousness and be not over-wise. Why let destruction come on you?

Be not righteous over much; neither show thyself over wise: why wouldst thou destroy thyself?

17 Be not evil overmuch, and be not foolish. Why come to your end before your time?

Be not wicked over much, and be no fool: why wouldst thou die before thy 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.

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 a wise man stronger than ten rulers in a town.

Wisdom giveth more strength to the wise than ten rulers which were in the city.

20 There is no man on earth of such righteousness that he does good and is free from sin all his days.

For no man is so righteous upon earth, that he should do always good, and never sin.—

21 Do not give ear to all the words which men say, for fear of hearing the curses of your servant.

Also take no heed unto all the words that are spoken: lest thou hear thy servant cursing thee.

22 Your heart has knowledge how frequently others have been cursed by you.

For oftentimes also doth thy own heart know that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.—

23 All this I have put to the test by wisdom; I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me.

All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

24 Far off is true existence, and very deep; who may have knowledge of it?

Far is what formerly was so, and what was deep remaineth deep: who can find it out?

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.

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 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.

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 Look! this I have seen, said the Preacher, taking one thing after another to get the true account,

Behold, this have I found, saith Koheleth, [adding] one to the other, to find experience,

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.

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 This only have I seen, that God made men upright, but they have been searching out all sorts of inventions.

Lo, this only did I find, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought for many [sinful] devices.