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 betere than preciouse oynementis; and the dai of deth is betere than the dai of birthe.
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 betere to go to the hous of morenyng, than to the hous of a feeste; for in that hous `of morenyng the ende of alle men is monestid, and a man lyuynge thenkith, what is to comynge.
3 Anger is better then laughter: for by a sad looke the heart is made better.
Yre is betere than leiyyng; for the soule of a trespassour is amendid bi the heuynesse of cheer.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning: but the heart of fooles is in the house of mirth.
The herte of wise men is where sorewe is; and the herte of foolis is where gladnesse is.
5 Better it is to heare ye rebuke of a wise man, then that a man should heare the song of fooles.
It is betere to be repreued of a wijs man, than to be disseyued bi the flateryng of foolis;
6 For like ye noyse of the thornes vnder the pot, so is the laughter of the foole: this also is vanitie.
for as the sown of thornes brennynge vndur a pot, so is the leiyyng of a fool. But also this is vanyte.
7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad: and the rewarde destroyeth the heart.
Fals chalenge disturblith a wijs man, and it schal leese the strengthe of his herte.
8 The ende of a thing is better then the beginning thereof, and the pacient in spirit is better then the proude in spirit.
Forsothe the ende of preyer is betere than the bigynnyng. A pacient man is betere than a proud man.
9 Be not thou of an hastie spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosome of fooles.
Be thou not swift to be wrooth; for ire restith in the bosum of a fool.
10 Say not thou, Why is it that the former dayes were better then these? for thou doest not enquire wisely of this thing.
Seie thou not, What gessist thou is of cause, that the formere tymes weren betere than ben now? for whi siche axyng is fonned.
11 Wisedome is good with an inheritance, and excellent to them that see the sunne.
Forsothe wisdom with richessis is more profitable, and profitith more to men seynge the sunne.
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 defendith, so money defendith; but lernyng and wisdom hath this more, that tho yyuen lijf to `her weldere.
13 Beholde the worke of God: for who can make straight that which he hath made crooked?
Biholde thou the werkis of God, that no man may amende hym, whom God hath dispisid.
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 a good day vse thou goodis, and bifore eschewe thou an yuel day; for God made so this dai as that dai, that a man fynde not iust playnyngis ayens hym.
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.
Also Y siy these thingis in the daies of my natyuyte; a iust man perischith in his riytfulnesse, and a wickid man lyueth myche tyme in his malice.
16 Be not thou iust ouermuch, neither make thy selfe ouerwise: wherefore shouldest thou be desolate?
Nyle thou be iust myche, nether vndurstonde thou more than is nedeful; lest thou be astonyed.
17 Be not thou wicked ouermuch, neither be thou foolish: wherefore shouldest thou perish not in thy time?
Do thou not wickidli myche, and nyle thou be a fool; lest thou die in a tyme not thin.
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 thou susteyne a iust man; but also withdrawe thou not thin hond from hym; for he that dredith God, is not necligent of ony thing.
19 Wisedome shall strengthen the wise man more then ten mightie princes that are in ye citie.
Wisdom hath coumfortid a wise man, ouer ten pryncis of a citee.
20 Surely there is no man iust in the earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.
Forsothe no iust man is in erthe, that doith good, and synneth not.
21 Giue not thine heart also to all ye wordes that men speake, lest thou doe heare thy seruant cursing thee.
But also yyue thou not thin herte to alle wordis, that ben seid; lest perauenture thou here thi seruaunt cursynge thee;
22 For often times also thine heart knoweth that thou likewise hast cursed others.
for thi conscience woot, that also thou hast cursid ofte othere men.
23 All this haue I prooued by wisedome: I thought I will be wise, but it went farre from me.
I asayede alle thingis in wisdom; Y seide, I schal be maad wijs, and it yede awei ferthere fro me, myche more than it was;
24 It is farre off, what may it be? and it is a profound deepenesse, who can finde it?
and the depthe is hiy, who schal fynde 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 cumpasside alle thingis in my soule, to kunne, and biholde, and seke wisdom and resoun, and to knowe the wickidnesse of a fool, and the errour of vnprudent men.
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 Y foond a womman bitterere than deth, which is the snare of hunteris, and hir herte is a net, and hir hondis ben boondis; he that plesith God schal ascape hir, but he that is a synnere, schal be takun of hir.
27 Beholde, sayth the Preacher, this haue I found, seeking one by one to finde the count:
Lo! Y foond this, seide Ecclesiastes, oon and other, that Y schulde fynde resoun, which my soule sekith yit;
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.
and Y foond not. I foond o man of a thousynde; Y foond not a womman of alle.
29 Onely loe, this haue I founde, that God hath made man righteous: but they haue sought many inuentions.
I foond this oonli, that God made a man riytful; and he medlide hym silf with questiouns with out noumbre. Who is siche as a wijs man? and who knowith the expownyng of a word?
