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 ointments: 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 the house of feasting: for in that we are put in mind of the end of all, and the living thinketh what is to come.
3 Better [is] sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becomes better.
Anger is better than laughter: because by the sadness of the countenance the mind of the offender is corrected.
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 where there is mourning, and the heart of fools where there is mirth.
5 Better to hear a rebuke of a wise man, Than [for] a man to hear a song of fools,
It is better to be rebuked by a wise man, than to be deceived by the flattery 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 burning under a pot, so is the laughter of a fool: now this also is vanity.
7 Surely oppression makes the wise mad, And a gift destroys the heart.
Oppression troubleth the wise, and shall destroy the strength of his 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 speech than the beginning. Better is the patient man than the presumptuous.
9 Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry, For anger in the bosom of fools rests.
Be not quickly angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of a fool.
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: What thinkest thou is the cause that former times were better than they are now? for this manner of question is foolish.
11 Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance, And an advantage [it is] to those beholding the sun.
Wisdom with riches is more profitable, and bringeth more advantage 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 as wisdom is a defence, so money is a defence: but learning and wisdom excel in this, that they give life to him that possesseth them.
13 See the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He made crooked?
Consider the works of God, that no man can correct whom he hath despised.
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 good day enjoy good things, and beware beforehand of the evil day: for God hath made both the one and the other, that man may not find against him any just complaint.
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.
These things also I saw in the days of my vanity: A just man perisheth in his justice, and a wicked man liveth a long time in his wickedness.
16 Do not be over-righteous, nor show yourself too wise, why are you desolate?
Be not over just: and be not more wise than is necessary, lest thou become stupid.
17 Do not do much wrong, neither be a fool, why do you die within your time?
Be not overmuch wicked: and be not foolish, lest 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 shouldst hold up the just, yea and from him withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God, neglecteth nothing.
19 The wisdom gives strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.
Wisdom hath strengthened the wise more than ten princes of the city.
20 Because there is not a righteous man on earth that does good and does not sin.
For there is no just man upon earth, that doth 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.
But do not apply thy heart to all words that are spoken: lest perhaps thou hear thy servant reviling thee.
22 For many times also has your heart known that you yourself have also reviled others.
For thy conscience knoweth that thou also hast often spoken evil of others.
23 All this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, “I am wise,” and it [is] far from me.
I have tried all things in wisdom. I have said: I will be wise: and it departed farther from me,
24 Far off [is] that which has been, and deep, deep, who finds it?
Much more than it was: it is a great depth, who shall 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 have surveyed all things with my mind, to know, and consider, and seek out wisdom and reason: and to know the wickedness of the fool, and the error of the imprudent:
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 have found a woman more bitter than death, who is the hunter’s snare, and her heart is a net, and her hands are bands. He that pleaseth God shall escape from her: but he that is a sinner, shall be caught by her.
27 See, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason
Lo this have I found, said Ecclesiastes, weighing one thing after another, that I might find out the account,
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 yet my soul seeketh, and I have not found it. One man among a thousand I have found, a woman among them all I have not found.
29 See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they have sought out many inventions.
Only this I have found, that God made man right, and he hath entangled himself with an infinity of questions. Who is as the wise man? and who hath known the resolution of the word?
