Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than precious oil, and the day of death, better than the day of one's birth.
Better [is] a name than good perfume, And the day of death than the day of birth.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; inasmuch as that is the end of all men: and let the living lay it to his heart.
Better to go unto a house of mourning, Than to go unto a house of banqueting, For that is the end of all men, And the living layeth [it] unto his heart.
3 Better is vexation than laughing; for through the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
Better [is] sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becometh better.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of joy.
The heart of the wise [is] in a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than that a man should hear the song of fools.
Better to hear a rebuke of a wise man, Than [for] a man to hear a song of fools,
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. Also this is vanity.
For as the noise of thorns under the pot, So [is] the laughter of a fool, even this [is] vanity.
7 For [exercising] oppression maketh a wise man mad; and bribery corrupteth the heart.
Surely oppression maketh the wise mad, And a gift destroyeth the heart.
8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: better is the patient in spirit than the proud in spirit.
Better [is] the latter end of a thing than its beginning, Better [is] the patient of spirit, than the haughty of spirit.
9 Be not rash in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in bosom of fools.
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, For anger in the bosom of fools resteth.
10 Thou must not say, How was it that the former days were better than these? for it is not out of wisdom that thou askest concerning this.
Say not thou, 'What was it, That the former days were better than these?' For thou hast not asked wisely of this.
11 Wisdom is better than an inheritance, yea, preferable for those that see the sun;
Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance, And an advantage [it is] to those beholding the sun.
12 For under the shadow of wisdom [a man is equally well as] under the shadow of money; but the superior excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to him that possesseth it.
For wisdom [is] a defense, money [is] a defence, And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom [is], She reviveth her possessors.
13 Consider [then] the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?
See the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He made crooked?
14 On the day of prosperity be happy, but on the day of adversity look on: also this hath God made in equal measure with the other, to the end that man should not find the least to censure him.
In a day of prosperity be in gladness, And in a day of evil consider. Also this over-against that hath God made, To the intent that man doth not find anything after him.
15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is many a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is many a wicked man that liveth long in his wickedness.—
The whole I have considered in the days of my vanity. There is a righteous one perishing in his righteousness, and there is a wrong-doer prolonging [himself] in his wrong.
16 Be not righteous over much; neither show thyself over wise: why wouldst thou destroy thyself?
Be not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise, why art thou desolate?
17 Be not wicked over much, and be no fool: why wouldst thou die before thy time?
Do not much wrong, neither be thou a fool, why dost thou die within thy time?
18 It is good that thou shouldst take hold of that, and that also from this thou withdraw not thy hand; for he that feareth God will come forth out of them all.
[It is] good that thou dost lay hold on this, and also, from that withdrawest not thy hand, for whoso is fearing God goeth out with them all.
19 Wisdom giveth more strength to the wise than ten rulers which were in the city.
The wisdom giveth strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.
20 For no man is so righteous upon earth, that he should do always good, and never sin.—
Because there is not a righteous man on earth that doth good and sinneth not.
21 Also take no heed unto all the words that are spoken: lest thou hear thy servant cursing thee.
Also to all the words that they speak give not thy heart, that thou hear not thy servant reviling thee.
22 For oftentimes also doth thy own heart know that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.—
For many times also hath thy heart known that thou thyself also hast reviled others.
23 All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
All this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, 'I am wise,' and it [is] far from me.
24 Far is what formerly was so, and what was deep remaineth deep: who can find it out?
Far off [is] that which hath been, and deep, deep, who doth find it?
25 Then I turned myself about together with my heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and experience, and to know the wickedness of folly, and the foolishness of madness.
I have turned round, also my heart, to know and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and reason, and to know the wrong of folly, and of foolishness the madness.
26 And I find as more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are bonds: he that is deemed good before God will escape from her; but the sinner will be caught by her.
And I am finding more bitter than death, the woman whose heart [is] nets and snares, her hands [are] bands; the good before God escapeth from her, but the sinner is captured by her.
27 Behold, this have I found, saith Koheleth, [adding] one to the other, to find experience,
See, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason
28 What my soul constantly sought, but I found it not; one man among a thousand did I find; but a woman among all these did I not find.
(that still my soul had sought, and I had not found), One man, a teacher, I have found, and a woman among all these I have not found.
29 Lo, this only did I find, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought for many [sinful] devices.
See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they — they have sought out many devices.
