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 costly perfume, and the day of death is better than the 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 mourning comes to all people at the end of life, so living people must take this to heart.
3 Anger is better then laughter: for by a sad looke the heart is made better.
Grief is better than laughter, for after sadness of face comes gladness of heart.
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 in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of feasting.
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 listen to the rebuke of the wise than to listen to the song of fools.
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 also is the laughter of fools. This, too, is vapor.
7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad: and the rewarde destroyeth the heart.
Extortion certainly makes a wise man foolish, and a bribe corrupts the 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.
Better is the end of a matter than the beginning; and the people patient in spirit are better than the proud in spirit.
9 Be not thou of an hastie spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosome of fooles.
Do not be quick to anger in your spirit, for anger resides in the hearts of fools.
10 Say not thou, Why is it that the former dayes were better then these? for thou doest not enquire wisely of this thing.
Do not say, “Why were the days of old better than these?” For it is not because of wisdom that you ask this question.
11 Wisedome is good with an inheritance, and excellent to them that see the sunne.
Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good. It benefits 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 wisdom provides protection as money can provide protection, but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to whoever has it.
13 Beholde the worke of God: for who can make straight that which he hath made crooked?
Consider the deeds of God: Who can straighten out anything he has made crooked?
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.
When times are good, live happily in that good, but when times are bad, consider this: God has allowed both to exist side by side. For this reason, no one will find out anything that is coming after 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 have seen many things in my meaningless days. There are righteous people who perish in spite of their righteousness, and there are wicked people who live a long life in spite of their evil.
16 Be not thou iust ouermuch, neither make thy selfe ouerwise: wherefore shouldest thou be desolate?
Do not be self-righteous, wise in your own eyes. Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Be not thou wicked ouermuch, neither be thou foolish: wherefore shouldest thou perish not in thy time?
Do not be too wicked or foolish. Why should 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 that you should take hold of this wisdom, and that you should not let go of righteousness. For the person who fears God will meet all his obligations.
19 Wisedome shall strengthen the wise man more then ten mightie princes that are in ye citie.
Wisdom is powerful in the wise man, more than ten rulers in a city.
20 Surely there is no man iust in the earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.
There is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
21 Giue not thine heart also to all ye wordes that men speake, lest thou doe heare thy seruant cursing thee.
Do not listen to every word that is spoken, because you might hear your servant curse you.
22 For often times also thine heart knoweth that thou likewise hast cursed others.
Similarly, you know yourself that in your own heart you have often cursed others.
23 All this haue I prooued by wisedome: I thought I will be wise, but it went farre from me.
All this have I proven by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was more than I could be.
24 It is farre off, what may it be? and it is a profound deepenesse, who can finde it?
Wisdom is far off and very deep. Who can find it?
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 turned my heart to learn and examine and seek wisdom and the explanations of reality, and to understand that evil is stupid and that folly is madness.
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.
I found that more bitter than death is any woman whose heart is full of snares and nets, and whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God will escape from her, but the sinner will be taken by her.
27 Beholde, sayth the Preacher, this haue I found, seeking one by one to finde the count:
“Consider what I have discovered,” says the Teacher. “I have been adding one discovery to another in order to find an explanation of reality.
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.
This is what I am still looking for, but I have not found it. I did find one righteous man among a thousand, but a woman among all those I did not find.
29 Onely loe, this haue I founde, that God hath made man righteous: but they haue sought many inuentions.
I have discovered only this: That God created humanity upright, but they have gone away looking for many difficulties.”
