Ecclesiastes 7
1 Better [is] a name than good perfume, And the day of death than the day of birth.
A [good] name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
2 Better to go to a house of mourning, Than to go to a house of banqueting, For that is the end of all men, And the living lays [it] to his heart.
It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart.
3 Better [is] sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becomes better.
Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
4 The heart of the wise [is] in a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth.
5 Better to hear a rebuke of a wise man, Than [for] a man to hear a song of fools,
It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools.
6 For as the noise of thorns under the pot, So [is] the laughter of a fool, even this [is] vanity.
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
7 Surely oppression makes the wise mad, And a gift destroys the heart.
Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the heart.
8 Better [is] the latter end of a thing than its beginning, Better [is] the patient of spirit, than the haughty of spirit.
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit.
9 Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry, For anger in the bosom of fools rests.
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools.
10 Do not say, “What was it, That the former days were better than these?” For you have not asked wisely of this.
Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
11 Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance, And an advantage [it is] to those beholding the sun.
Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun.
12 For wisdom [is] a defense, money [is] a defense, And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom [is], She revives her possessors.
For wisdom is a defence [as] money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, [that] wisdom maketh them that possess it to live.
13 See the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He made crooked?
Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?
14 In a day of prosperity be in gladness, And in a day of calamity consider: God has also made this alongside of that, To the intent that man does not find anything after him.
In the day of prosperity enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing [of what shall be] after him.
15 The whole I have considered in the days of my vanity. There is a righteous one perishing in his righteousness, and there is a wrongdoer prolonging [himself] in his wrong.
All [this] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous [man] that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his days] by his wickedness.
16 Do not be over-righteous, nor show yourself too wise, why are you desolate?
Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
17 Do not do much wrong, neither be a fool, why do you die within your time?
Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
18 [It is] good that you lay hold on this, and also, do not withdraw your hand from that, for whoever is fearing God goes out with them all.
It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all.
19 The wisdom gives strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.
Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] that are in a city.
20 Because there is not a righteous man on earth that does good and does not sin.
Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.
21 Also to all the words that they speak do not give your heart, that you do not hear your servant reviling you.
Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.
22 For many times also has your heart known that you yourself have also reviled others.
For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
23 All this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, “I am wise,” and it [is] far from me.
All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
24 Far off [is] that which has been, and deep, deep, who finds it?
Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out?
25 I have turned around, also my heart, to know and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and reason, and to know the wrong of folly, and the madness of foolishness.
I turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness;
26 And I am finding more bitter than death, the woman whose heart [is] nets and snares, her hands [are] bands; the good before God escapes from her, but the sinner is captured by her.
and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is nets and snares, [and] whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.
27 See, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason
See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, [searching] one by one to find out the reason;
28 (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.
which my soul yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found.
29 See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they have sought out many inventions.
Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.
