Ecclesiastes 7
1 Better a name, than precious ointment, —and the day of death, 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 Better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of banqueting, for, that, is the end of all men, —and, the living, should take it to his heart.
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.
3 Better is grief than laughter, —for, by the marring of the face, amended is the heart.
Better [is] sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becomes better.
4 The heart of the wise, is in the house of mourning, but, the heart of dullards, in the house of mirth.
The heart of the wise [is] in a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.
5 Better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for any man to hear the song of dullards,
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 dullard, —even this, then, was vanity.
For as the noise of thorns under the pot, So [is] the laughter of a fool, even this [is] vanity.
7 For, oppression, maddeneth the wise, —and a bribe, destroyeth the understanding.
Surely oppression makes the wise mad, And a gift destroys the heart.
8 Better the latter end of a thing, than the beginning thereof, —Better a patient spirit, than a haughty spirit.
Better [is] the latter end of a thing than its beginning, Better [is] the patient of spirit, than the haughty of spirit.
9 Do not be rash in thy spirit, to be indignant, —for, indignation, in the bosom of dullards, doth remain.
Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry, For anger in the bosom of fools rests.
10 Do not say, What hath happened, that, the former days, were better than these? for, not wisely, askest thou concerning this.
Do not say, “What was it, That the former days were better than these?” For you have not asked wisely of this.
11 Good is wisdom, with an inheritance, —and a profit, to such as see the sun.
Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance, And an advantage [it is] to those beholding the sun.
12 For, a protection, is wisdom, and, a protection, is silver, —but, the advantage of knowledge, is, that, wisdom, giveth life to the possessors thereof.
For wisdom [is] a defense, money [is] a defense, And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom [is], She revives her possessors.
13 Consider the work of God, —for who can straighten what he hath bent?
See the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He made crooked?
14 In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but, in the day of misfortune, consider, —Even the one equally with the other, hath God made, to the end man might find out—after him—nothing.
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.
15 Everything, had I seen, in my days of vanity, —Here was a righteous man, perishing in his righteousness, and there was a lawless man, continuing 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 wrongdoer prolonging [himself] in his wrong.
16 Do not become so very righteous, neither count thyself wise beyond measure, —wherefore shouldst thou destroy thyself?
Do not be over-righteous, nor show yourself too wise, why are you desolate?
17 Do not be so very lawless, neither become thou foolish, —wherefore shouldst thou die, before thy time?
Do not do much wrong, neither be a fool, why do you die within your time?
18 It is well that thou shouldst lay fast hold of this, but, even from the other, do not withdraw thy hand, —for, he that revereth God, shall come forth out of them all.
[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.
19 Wisdom, bringeth more strength to a wise man, than ten heroes, that are in the city.
The wisdom gives strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.
20 For, as for men, there is none righteous in the earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
Because there is not a righteous man on earth that does good and does not sin.
21 Moreover, not to all the words which men speak, do thou apply thy heart, —lest thou hear thine own servant reviling thee!
Also to all the words that they speak do not give your heart, that you do not hear your servant reviling you.
22 For truly, many times, thy heart knoweth, —that, even thou thyself, hast reviled others.
For many times also has your heart known that you yourself have also reviled others.
23 All this, have I proved by wisdom, —I said, I will be wise, but, that, 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 away, is that which hath been, —and deep, deep, who can find it out?
Far off [is] that which has been, and deep, deep, who finds it?
25 Resolved, I, in my heart, to know and search out, and to seek wisdom, and a conclusion, —and to know lawlessness [to be] stupidity, and folly to be madness.
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.
26 I, could indeed find, to be, more bitter than death, the woman, whose heart is, snares and nets, and her hands, bonds, —whoso is pleasing before God, shall escape from her, but, he that sinneth, shall be captured 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 escapes from her, but the sinner is captured by her.
27 See! this, have I found, saith the Proclaimer [counting] one by one, to find a conclusion;
See, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason
28 what my soul still sought, yet I found not, —one man out of a thousand, have I found, but, a woman among all these, have I not found.
(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 Only, see, this, have I found, That God made man upright, but, they, have sought out many devices.
See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they have sought out many inventions.
