Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name [is] better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.
[Having] a good reputation [MTY] is better than fine perfume, and the day that we die is better than the day that we are born.
2 [It is] better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that [is] the end of all men; and the living will lay [it] to his heart.
It is better to go to a house where people are mourning [about someone who has died] than to go to a house where people are feasting, because everyone will die some day, and people who are alive should think seriously [IDM] about that.
3 Sorrow [is] better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
It is better to be sad than to be [always] laughing, because being sad can cause us to think more about how we should conduct our lives [IDM].
4 The heart of the wise [is] in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools [is] in the house of mirth.
Wise [people] who go to where others are mourning think about [the fact that some day they also will] die, but foolish people [PRS] [do not think about that]; they are always [MTY] laughing.
5 [It is] better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
It is better to pay attention to [someone who is wise] you than to listen to the songs of a foolish person.
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so [is] the laughter of the fool: this also [is] vanity.
By [listening to] foolish people laughing we will not [learn any more than by listening to] the crackling of thorns [being burned] under a pot. Listening to fools is senseless.
7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.
When wise people say to others, “You must pay me a lot of money for me to protect you,” that causes those wise people to become foolish, and [accepting] bribes causes people to become unable to do what is fair/just.
8 Better [is] the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: [and] the patient in spirit [is] better than the proud in spirit.
Finishing something is better than starting something, and being patient is better than being proud.
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
Do not quickly (lose your temper/react to things angrily), because it is foolish people [SYN] who become very angry.
10 Say not thou, What is [the cause] that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.
Do not say, “Things were a lot better [RHQ] previously,” because it is people who are not wise who say that.
11 Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance: and [by it there is] profit to them that see the sun.
Being wise is better than inheriting [valuable things]; being wise provides lasting benefits for every person on the earth [MTY].
12 For wisdom [is] a defence, [and] money [is] a defence: but the excellency of knowledge [is, that] wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
We are [sometimes] protected by being wise like we are [sometimes] protected by having a lot of money, but being wise is better [than having a lot of money], [because] being wise prevents us from [doing foolish things that would] cause us to die.
13 Consider the work of God: for who can make [that] straight, which he hath made crooked?
Think [carefully about] what God has done. Certainly no one can [RHQ] cause to become straight the things that God has caused to be crooked.
14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.
When things are going well for you, be happy, and when things are not going well for you, remember that God is the one who causes good things to happen and who also causes disasters.
15 All [things] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just [man] that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his life] in his wickedness.
During all the time that I have been alive I have seen a lot of [HYP] things that seem senseless. I have seen righteous people die [while they are still young], and I have seen wicked people remain alive for a very long time in [spite of] their continuing to be wicked.
16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
[So] do not think that you are very righteous and do not think that you are very wise, [because if you think those things], you will destroy yourself.
17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
If you do what is evil or do what is foolish, you might die while you are still young.
18 [It is] good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.
Continue to avoid doing what is evil and doing what is foolish; avoid doing both of those things by continually revering God.
19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] which are in the city.
If you are wise, you will be more powerful/influential than the ten most powerful/influential men in your city.
20 For [there is] not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
There is no one in this world who [always] does what is right and who never sins.
21 Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:
Do not pay attention [IDM] to everything that people say, because if you do that, you might hear your servant cursing you.
22 For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
You know that you have also cursed other people.
23 All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it [was] far from me.
I said [to myself] that I would use my wisdom to study all the things [that I have written about], but I was not able to do it successfully.
24 That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?
Wisdom seems to be far from me; there is no one [RHQ] who can truly understand everything.
25 I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason [of things], and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness [and] madness:
But I decided to investigate things and by my wisdom try to understand the reason for everything. I also wanted to understand why people act wickedly and why they act very foolishly.
26 And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart [is] snares and nets, [and] her hands [as] bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.
[One thing I learned was that] (allowing a woman to seduce you/having sex with a woman to whom you are not married) is worse than dying. A woman who tries to seduce men is [as dangerous as] a trap [MET]. [If you allow her to put] her arms [around you, it will be as though she will be fastening you with] chains. Women like that will capture sinful men, but men who please God will escape from such women.
27 Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, [counting] one by one, to find out the account:
This is what I have learned: I tried to learn more and more about things to try to find out the reason for everything,
28 Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.
and I continued to try to learn more, but I could not find [all that I was searching for]. [But] one thing that I found out was that among 1,000 [people] I found one righteous man, but I did not find even one righteous woman.
29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
[But] I did learn one thing: When God created people, they were righteous, but they have found many ways to do many evil things.
