Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better then a good oyntment, and the day of death, then the day that one is borne.
Melius est nomen bonum, quam unguenta pretiosa: et dies mortis die nativitatis.
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.
Melius est ire ad domum luctus, quam ad domum convivii: in illa enim finis cunctorum admonetur hominum, et vivens cogitat quid futurum sit.
3 Anger is better then laughter: for by a sad looke 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 fooles is in the house of mirth.
Cor sapientium ubi tristitia est, et cor stultorum ubi laetitia.
5 Better it is to heare ye rebuke of a wise man, then that a man should heare the song of fooles.
Melius est a sapiente corripi, quam stultorum adulatione decipi.
6 For like ye noyse of the thornes vnder the pot, so is the laughter of the foole: this also is vanitie.
quia sicut sonitus spinarum ardentium sub olla, sic risus stulti: sed et hoc vanitas.
7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad: and the rewarde destroyeth the heart.
Calumnia conturbat sapientem, et perdet robur cordis illius.
8 The ende of a thing is better then the beginning thereof, and the pacient in spirit is better then the proude in spirit.
Melior est finis orationis, quam principium. Melior est patiens arrogante.
9 Be not thou of an hastie spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosome of fooles.
Ne sis velox ad irascendum: quia ira in sinu stulti requiescit.
10 Say not thou, Why is it that the former dayes were better then these? for thou doest not enquire wisely of this thing.
Ne dicas: Quid putas causae est quod priora tempora meliora fuere quam nunc sunt? stulta enim est huiuscemodi interrogatio.
11 Wisedome is good with an inheritance, and excellent to them that see the sunne.
Utilior est sapientia cum divitiis, et magis prodest videntibus solem.
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.
Sicut enim protegit sapientia, sic protegit pecunia. hoc autem plus habet eruditio et sapientia, quod vitam tribuunt possessori suo.
13 Beholde the worke of God: for who can make straight that which he hath made crooked?
Considera opera Dei, quod nemo possit corrigere quem ille despexerit.
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 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 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.
Haec quoque vidi in diebus vanitatis meae: Iustus perit in iustitia sua, et impius multo vivit tempore in malitia sua.
16 Be not thou iust ouermuch, neither make thy selfe ouerwise: wherefore shouldest thou be desolate?
Noli esse iustus multum: neque plus sapias quam necesse est, ne obstupescas.
17 Be not thou wicked ouermuch, neither be thou foolish: wherefore shouldest thou perish not in thy time?
Ne impie agas multum: et noli esse stultus, ne moriaris in tempore non tuo.
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.
Bonum est te sustentare iustum, et ab illo ne subtrahas manum tuam: quia qui timet Deum, nihil negligit.
19 Wisedome shall strengthen the wise man more then ten mightie princes that are in ye citie.
Sapientia confortavit sapientem super decem principes civitatis.
20 Surely there is no man iust in the earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.
Non est enim homo iustus in terra, qui faciat bonum, et non peccet.
21 Giue not thine heart also to all ye wordes that men speake, lest thou doe heare thy seruant cursing thee.
Sed et cunctis sermonibus, qui dicuntur, ne accomodes cor tuum: ne forte audias servum tuum maledicentem tibi.
22 For often times also thine heart knoweth that thou likewise hast cursed others.
scit enim conscientia tua, quia et tu crebro maledixisti aliis.
23 All this haue I prooued by wisedome: I thought I will be wise, but it went farre from me.
Cuncta tentavi in sapientia. Dixi: Sapiens efficiar: et ipsa longius recessit a me
24 It is farre off, what may it be? and it is a profound deepenesse, who can finde it?
multo magis quam erat: et alta profunditas, quis inveniet eam?
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,
Lustravi universa animo meo, ut scirem, et considerarem, et quaererem sapientiam, et rationem: et ut cognoscerem impietatem stulti, et errorem imprudentium:
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.
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 Beholde, sayth the Preacher, this haue I found, seeking one by one to finde the count:
Ecce hoc inveni, dixit Ecclesiastes, unum et alterum, ut invenirem rationem,
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.
quam adhuc quaerit anima mea, et non inveni. Virum de mille unum reperi, mulierem ex omnibus non inveni.
29 Onely loe, this haue I founde, that God hath made man righteous: but they haue sought many inuentions.
Solummodo hoc inveni, quod fecerit Deus hominem rectum, et ipse se infinitis miscuerit quaestionibus. Quis talis ut sapiens est? et quis cognovit solutionem verbi?
