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 perfume, and the day of one's death than the day of his 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; for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to heart.
3 Better [is] sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becomes better.
Sorrow 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 is 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 a fool. This also is vanity.
7 Surely oppression makes the wise mad, And a gift destroys the heart.
Surely the gain of oppression maketh a wise man foolish, and a gift corrupteth the understanding.
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 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 hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger 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, “What is the cause 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 estate? yea, it hath an advantage over it for 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, and money is a defence. But knowledge hath the advantage. For wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
13 See the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He made crooked?
Consider the work of God! Who can make straight that which 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 be joyful; but look for a day of adversity! for this also, as well as the other, hath God appointed, to the end that a man should not find out any thing which 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 my days of vanity. There are righteous men who perish in their righteousness, and there are wicked men who live long in their wickedness.
16 Do not be over-righteous, nor show yourself too wise, why are you desolate?
Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself over-wise! 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 a fool! Why shouldst 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 this; yea, also, from that withdraw not thy hand. For he that feareth God shall escape all those things.
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 who are in the city.
20 Because there is not a righteous man on earth that does good and does not sin.
Truly there is not a righteous man upon the earth who 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.
Give no heed to all the words which 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 many times thine own heart knoweth also that even thou thyself 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?
That which is far off and exceeding 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.
I applied my mind earnestly to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and intelligence, and to know wickedness and folly, yea, foolishness and 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 snares and nets, and her hands bands. He that 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
Behold, this have I found, saith the Preacher, putting one thing to another to find knowledge.
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.
That which my soul hath hitherto sought, and I have not found, is this: a man among a thousand I have found, but a woman among a thousand have I not found.
29 See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they have sought out many inventions.
Lo, this only have I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.
