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 oil, and the day of death, better 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; inasmuch as that is the end of all men: and let the living lay it to his heart.
3 Better [is] sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becomes better.
Better is vexation than laughing; for through 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 is in the house of joy.
5 Better to hear a rebuke of a wise man, Than [for] a man to hear a song of fools,
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than that a man should 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. Also this is vanity.
7 Surely oppression makes the wise mad, And a gift destroys the heart.
For [exercising] oppression maketh a wise man mad; and bribery corrupteth 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 the beginning thereof: better is the patient in spirit than the proud in spirit.
9 Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry, For anger in the bosom of fools rests.
Be not rash in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in 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.
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.
11 Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance, And an advantage [it is] to those beholding the sun.
Wisdom is better than an inheritance, yea, preferable for those 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 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.
13 See the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He made crooked?
Consider [then] 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.
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.
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 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.—
16 Do not be over-righteous, nor show yourself too wise, why are you desolate?
Be not righteous over much; neither show thyself over wise: why wouldst thou destroy thyself?
17 Do not do much wrong, neither be a fool, why do you die within your time?
Be not wicked over much, and be no fool: why wouldst 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 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.
19 The wisdom gives strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.
Wisdom giveth more strength to the wise than ten rulers which were in the city.
20 Because there is not a righteous man on earth that does good and does not sin.
For no man is so righteous upon earth, that he should do always good, and never sin.—
21 Also to all the words that they speak do not give your heart, that you do not hear your servant reviling you.
Also take no heed unto all the words that are spoken: lest thou hear thy servant cursing thee.
22 For many times also has your heart known that you yourself have also reviled others.
For oftentimes also doth thy own heart know that 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 proved 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?
Far is what formerly was so, and what was deep remaineth deep: who can 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.
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.
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 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.
27 See, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason
Behold, this have I found, saith Koheleth, [adding] one to the other, to find experience,
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.
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.
29 See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they have sought out many inventions.
Lo, this only did I find, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought for many [sinful] devices.
