Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better then a good oyntment, and the day of death, then the day that one is borne.
A good name is better than precious ointments, and a day of death is better than a day of birth.
2 It is better to goe to the house of mourning, then to goe to the house of feasting, because this is the ende of all men: and the liuing shall lay it to his heart.
It is better to go to a house of mourning, than to a house of feasting. For in the former, we are admonished about the end of all things, so that the living consider what may be in the future.
3 Anger is better then laughter: for by a sad looke the heart is made better.
Anger is better than laughter. For through the sadness of the countenance, the soul of one who offends may be corrected.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning: but the heart of fooles is in the house of mirth.
The heart of the wise is a place of mourning, and the heart of the foolish is a place of rejoicing.
5 Better it is to heare ye rebuke of a wise man, then that a man should heare the song of fooles.
It is better to be corrected by a wise man, than to be deceived by the false praise of the foolish.
6 For like ye noyse of the thornes vnder the pot, so is the laughter of the foole: this also is vanitie.
For, like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so is the laughter of the foolish. But this, too, is emptiness.
7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad: and the rewarde destroyeth the heart.
A false accusation troubles the wise man and saps the strength of his heart.
8 The ende of a thing is better then the beginning thereof, and the pacient in spirit is better then the proude in spirit.
The end of a speech is better than the beginning. Patience is better than arrogance.
9 Be not thou of an hastie spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosome of fooles.
Do not be quickly moved to anger. For anger resides in the sinews of the foolish.
10 Say not thou, Why is it that the former dayes were better then these? for thou doest not enquire wisely of this thing.
You should not say: “What do you think is the reason that the former times were better than they are now?” For this type of question is foolish.
11 Wisedome is good with an inheritance, and excellent to them that see the sunne.
Wisdom with riches is more useful and more advantageous, for those who see the sun.
12 For man shall rest in the shadowe of wisedome, and in the shadowe of siluer: but the excellencie of the knowledge of wisedome giueth life to the possessers thereof.
For as wisdom protects, so also does money protect. But learning and wisdom have this much more: that they grant life to one who possesses them.
13 Beholde the worke of God: for who can make straight that which he hath made crooked?
Consider the works of God, that no one is able to correct whomever he has despised.
14 In the day of wealth be of good comfort, and in the day of affliction consider: God also hath made this contrary to that, to the intent that man shoulde finde nothing after him.
In good times, enjoy good things, but beware of an evil time. For just as God has established the one, so also the other, in order that man may not find any just complaint against him.
15 I haue seene all things in the dayes of my vanitie: there is a iust man that perisheth in his iustice, and there is a wicked man that continueth long in his malice.
I also saw this, in the days of my vanity: a just man perishing in his justice, and an impious man living a long time in his malice.
16 Be not thou iust ouermuch, neither make thy selfe ouerwise: wherefore shouldest thou be desolate?
Do not try to be overly just, and do not try to be more wise than is necessary, lest you become stupid.
17 Be not thou wicked ouermuch, neither be thou foolish: wherefore shouldest thou perish not in thy time?
Do not act with great impiety, and do not choose to be foolish, lest you die before your time.
18 It is good that thou lay hold on this: but yet withdrawe not thine hand from that: for he that feareth God, shall come forth of them all.
It is good for you to support a just man. Furthermore, you should not withdraw your hand from him, for whoever fears God, neglects nothing.
19 Wisedome shall strengthen the wise man more then ten mightie princes that are in ye citie.
Wisdom has strengthened the wise more than ten princes of a city.
20 Surely there is no man iust in the earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.
But there is no just man on earth, who does good and does not sin.
21 Giue not thine heart also to all ye wordes that men speake, lest thou doe heare thy seruant cursing thee.
So then, do not attach your heart to every word that is spoken, lest perhaps you may hear your servant speaking ill of you.
22 For often times also thine heart knoweth that thou likewise hast cursed others.
For your conscience knows that you, too, have repeatedly spoken evil of others.
23 All this haue I prooued by wisedome: I thought I will be wise, but it went farre from me.
I have tested everything in wisdom. I have said: “I will be wise.” And wisdom withdrew farther from me,
24 It is farre off, what may it be? and it is a profound deepenesse, who can finde it?
so much more than it was before. Wisdom is very profound, so who shall reveal her?
25 I haue compassed about, both I and mine heart to knowe and to enquire and to search wisedome, and reason, and to knowe the wickednesse of follie, and the foolishnesse of madnesse,
I have examined all things in my soul, so that I may know, and consider, and seek out wisdom and reason, and so that I may recognize the impiety of the foolish, and the error of the imprudent.
26 And I finde more bitter then death the woman whose heart is as nettes and snares, and her handes, as bands: he that is good before God, shalbe deliuered from her, but the sinner shall be taken by her.
And I have discovered a woman more bitter than death: she who is like the snare of a hunter, and whose heart is like a net, and whose hands are like chains. Whoever pleases God shall flee from her. But whoever is a sinner shall be seized by her.
27 Beholde, sayth the Preacher, this haue I found, seeking one by one to finde the count:
Behold, Ecclesiastes said, I have discovered these things, one after another, in order that I might discover the explanation
28 And yet my soule seeketh, but I finde it not: I haue found one man of a thousand: but a woman among them all haue I not founde.
which my soul still seeks and has not found. One man among a thousand, I have found; a woman among them all, I have not found.
29 Onely loe, this haue I founde, that God hath made man righteous: but they haue sought many inuentions.
This alone have I discovered: that God made man righteous, and yet he has adulterated himself with innumerable questions. Who is so great as the wise? And who has understood the meaning of the word?
