Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than oil of great price, and the day of death than the 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 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.
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 joy; when the face is sad the mind gets better.
Better is grief than laughter, —for, by the marring of the face, amended is the heart.
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 dullards, in the house of mirth.
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.
Better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for any man to hear the song of dullards,
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 dullard, —even this, then, was vanity.
7 The wise are troubled by the ways of the cruel, and the giving of money is the destruction of the heart.
For, oppression, maddeneth the wise, —and a bribe, destroyeth the understanding.
8 The end of a thing is better than its start, and a gentle spirit is better than pride.
Better the latter end of a thing, than the beginning thereof, —Better a patient spirit, than a haughty spirit.
9 Be not quick to let your spirit be angry; because wrath is in the heart of the foolish.
Do not be rash in thy spirit, to be indignant, —for, indignation, in the bosom of dullards, doth remain.
10 Say not, Why were the days which have gone by better than these? Such a question comes not from wisdom.
Do not say, What hath happened, that, the former days, were better than these? for, not wisely, askest thou concerning this.
11 Wisdom together with a heritage is good, and a profit to those who see the sun.
Good is wisdom, with an inheritance, —and a profit, to such as 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, a protection, is wisdom, and, a protection, is silver, —but, the advantage of knowledge, is, that, wisdom, giveth life to the possessors thereof.
13 Give thought to the work of God. Who will make straight what he has made bent?
Consider the work of God, —for who can straighten what he hath bent?
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.
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 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.
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 Be not given overmuch to righteousness and be not over-wise. Why let destruction come on you?
Do not become so very righteous, neither count thyself wise beyond measure, —wherefore shouldst thou destroy thyself?
17 Be not evil overmuch, and be not foolish. Why come to your end 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 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 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 a wise man stronger than ten rulers in a town.
Wisdom, bringeth more strength to a wise man, than ten heroes, that are 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, as for men, there is none righteous in the earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
21 Do not give ear to all the words which men say, for fear of hearing the curses of your servant.
Moreover, not to all the words which men speak, do thou apply thy heart, —lest thou hear thine own servant reviling thee!
22 Your heart has knowledge how frequently others have been cursed by you.
For truly, many times, thy heart knoweth, —that, even thou thyself, hast reviled 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, that, was far from me.
24 Far off is true existence, and very deep; who may have knowledge of it?
Far away, is that which hath been, —and deep, 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.
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 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, 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 Look! this I have seen, said the Preacher, taking one thing after another to get the true account,
See! this, have I found, saith the Proclaimer [counting] one by one, to find a conclusion;
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 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 This only have I seen, that God made men upright, but they have been searching out all sorts of inventions.
Only, see, this, have I found, That God made man upright, but, they, have sought out many devices.
