Ecclesiastes 7
1 A [good] name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
Melius est nomen bonum, quam unguenta pretiosa: et dies mortis die nativitatis.
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.
Melius est ire ad domum luctus, quam ad domum convivii: in illa enim finis cunctorum admonetur hominum, et vivens cogitat quid futurum sit.
3 Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
Melior est ira risu: quia per tristitiam vultus, corrigitur animus delinquentis.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth.
Cor sapientium ubi tristitia est, et cor stultorum ubi laetitia.
5 It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools.
Melius est a sapiente corripi, quam stultorum adulatione decipi.
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
quia sicut sonitus spinarum ardentium sub olla, sic risus stulti: sed et hoc vanitas.
7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the heart.
Calumnia conturbat sapientem, et perdet robur cordis illius.
8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit.
Melior est finis orationis, quam principium. Melior est patiens arrogante.
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools.
Ne sis velox ad irascendum: quia ira in sinu stulti requiescit.
10 Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
Ne dicas: Quid putas causae est quod priora tempora meliora fuere quam nunc sunt? stulta enim est huiuscemodi interrogatio.
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun.
Utilior est sapientia cum divitiis, et magis prodest videntibus solem.
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.
Sicut enim protegit sapientia, sic protegit pecunia. hoc autem plus habet eruditio et sapientia, quod vitam tribuunt possessori suo.
13 Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?
Considera opera Dei, quod nemo possit corrigere quem ille despexerit.
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 die bona fruere bonis, et malam diem praecave. sicut enim hanc, sic et illam fecit Deus, ut non inveniat homo contra eum iustas querimonias.
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.
Haec quoque vidi in diebus vanitatis meae: Iustus perit in iustitia sua, et impius multo vivit tempore in malitia sua.
16 Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
Noli esse iustus multum: neque plus sapias quam necesse est, ne obstupescas.
17 Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
Ne impie agas multum: et noli esse stultus, ne moriaris in tempore non tuo.
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.
Bonum est te sustentare iustum, et ab illo ne subtrahas manum tuam: quia qui timet Deum, nihil negligit.
19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] that are in a city.
Sapientia confortavit sapientem super decem principes civitatis.
20 Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.
Non est enim homo iustus in terra, qui faciat bonum, et non peccet.
21 Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.
Sed et cunctis sermonibus, qui dicuntur, ne accomodes cor tuum: ne forte audias servum tuum maledicentem tibi.
22 For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
scit enim conscientia tua, quia et tu crebro maledixisti aliis.
23 All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
Cuncta tentavi in sapientia. Dixi: Sapiens efficiar: et ipsa longius recessit a me
24 Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out?
multo magis quam erat: et alta profunditas, quis inveniet eam?
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;
Lustravi universa animo meo, ut scirem, et considerarem, et quaererem sapientiam, et rationem: et ut cognoscerem impietatem stulti, et errorem imprudentium:
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.
et inveni amariorem morte mulierem, quae laqueus venatorum est, et sagena cor eius, vincula sunt manus illius. qui placet Deo, effugiet illam: qui autem peccator est, capietur ab illa.
27 See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, [searching] one by one to find out the reason;
Ecce hoc inveni, dixit Ecclesiastes, unum et alterum, ut invenirem rationem,
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.
quam adhuc quaerit anima mea, et non inveni. Virum de mille unum reperi, mulierem ex omnibus non inveni.
29 Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.
Solummodo hoc inveni, quod fecerit Deus hominem rectum, et ipse se infinitis miscuerit quaestionibus. Quis talis ut sapiens est? et quis cognovit solutionem verbi?
