Ecclesiastes 7
1 A [good] name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
Better [is] a name than good perfume, And the day of death than the 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.
Better to go to a house of mourning, Than to go to a house of banqueting, For that is the end of all men, And the living lays [it] to his heart.
3 Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
Better [is] sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becomes better.
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 a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.
5 It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools.
Better to hear a rebuke of a wise man, Than [for] a man to hear a 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 as the noise of thorns under the pot, So [is] the laughter of a fool, even this [is] vanity.
7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the heart.
Surely oppression makes the wise mad, And a gift destroys the heart.
8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit.
Better [is] the latter end of a thing than its beginning, Better [is] the patient of spirit, than the haughty of spirit.
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools.
Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry, For anger in the bosom of fools rests.
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, “What was it, That the former days were better than these?” For you have not asked wisely of this.
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun.
Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance, And an advantage [it is] to those beholding 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 [is] a defense, money [is] a defense, And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom [is], She revives her possessors.
13 Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?
See the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He made crooked?
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 a day of prosperity be in gladness, And in a day of calamity consider: God has also made this alongside of that, To the intent that man does not find anything 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.
The whole I have considered in the days of my vanity. There is a righteous one perishing in his righteousness, and there is a wrongdoer prolonging [himself] in his wrong.
16 Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
Do not be over-righteous, nor show yourself too wise, why are you desolate?
17 Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
Do not do much wrong, neither be a fool, why do you die within 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 that you lay hold on this, and also, do not withdraw your hand from that, for whoever is fearing God goes out with them all.
19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] that are in a city.
The wisdom gives strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.
20 Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.
Because there is not a righteous man on earth that does good and does not sin.
21 Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.
Also to all the words that they speak do not give your heart, that you do not hear your servant reviling you.
22 For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
For many times also has your heart known that you yourself have also reviled others.
23 All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
All this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, “I am wise,” and it [is] far from me.
24 Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out?
Far off [is] that which has been, and deep, deep, who finds 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 have turned around, also my heart, to know and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and reason, and to know the wrong of folly, and the madness of foolishness.
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 am finding more bitter than death, the woman whose heart [is] nets and snares, her hands [are] bands; the good before God escapes from her, but the sinner is captured by her.
27 See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, [searching] one by one to find out the reason;
See, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason
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.
(that still my soul had sought, and I had not found), One man, a teacher, I have found, and a woman among all these I have not found.
29 Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.
See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they have sought out many inventions.
