Ecclesiastes 7
1 A [good] name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart.
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.
3 Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
5 It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools.
It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
For like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.
7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the heart.
Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit.
The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one.
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools.
Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.
10 Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is unwise of you to ask about this.
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun.
Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun.
12 For wisdom is a defence [as] money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, [that] wisdom maketh them that possess it to live.
For wisdom, like money, is a shelter, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.
13 Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?
Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent?
14 In the day of prosperity enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing [of what shall be] after him.
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.
15 All [this] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous [man] that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his days] by his wickedness.
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.
16 Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?
18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all.
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.
19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] that are in a city.
Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.
20 Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.
Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
21 Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.
Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you.
22 For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
23 All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
All this I tested by wisdom, saying, “I resolve to be wise.” But it was beyond me.
24 Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out?
What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it?
25 I turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness;
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.
26 and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is nets and snares, [and] whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.
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.
27 See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, [searching] one by one to find out the reason;
“Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation.
28 which my soul yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found.
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.
29 Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.
Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made men upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”
