Ecclesiastes 7
1 Better a name, than precious ointment, —and the day of death, than the day of one’s birth.
A good name is betere than preciouse oynementis; and the dai of deth is betere than the dai of birthe.
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.
It is betere to go to the hous of morenyng, than to the hous of a feeste; for in that hous `of morenyng the ende of alle men is monestid, and a man lyuynge thenkith, what is to comynge.
3 Better is grief than laughter, —for, by the marring of the face, amended is the heart.
Yre is betere than leiyyng; for the soule of a trespassour is amendid bi the heuynesse of cheer.
4 The heart of the wise, is in the house of mourning, but, the heart of dullards, in the house of mirth.
The herte of wise men is where sorewe is; and the herte of foolis is where gladnesse is.
5 Better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for any man to hear the song of dullards,
It is betere to be repreued of a wijs man, than to be disseyued bi the flateryng of foolis;
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 sown of thornes brennynge vndur a pot, so is the leiyyng of a fool. But also this is vanyte.
7 For, oppression, maddeneth the wise, —and a bribe, destroyeth the understanding.
Fals chalenge disturblith a wijs man, and it schal leese the strengthe of his herte.
8 Better the latter end of a thing, than the beginning thereof, —Better a patient spirit, than a haughty spirit.
Forsothe the ende of preyer is betere than the bigynnyng. A pacient man is betere than a proud man.
9 Do not be rash in thy spirit, to be indignant, —for, indignation, in the bosom of dullards, doth remain.
Be thou not swift to be wrooth; for ire restith in the bosum of a fool.
10 Do not say, What hath happened, that, the former days, were better than these? for, not wisely, askest thou concerning this.
Seie thou not, What gessist thou is of cause, that the formere tymes weren betere than ben now? for whi siche axyng is fonned.
11 Good is wisdom, with an inheritance, —and a profit, to such as see the sun.
Forsothe wisdom with richessis is more profitable, and profitith more to men seynge the sunne.
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 as wisdom defendith, so money defendith; but lernyng and wisdom hath this more, that tho yyuen lijf to `her weldere.
13 Consider the work of God, —for who can straighten what he hath bent?
Biholde thou the werkis of God, that no man may amende hym, whom God hath dispisid.
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 good day vse thou goodis, and bifore eschewe thou an yuel day; for God made so this dai as that dai, that a man fynde not iust playnyngis ayens hym.
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.
Also Y siy these thingis in the daies of my natyuyte; a iust man perischith in his riytfulnesse, and a wickid man lyueth myche tyme in his malice.
16 Do not become so very righteous, neither count thyself wise beyond measure, —wherefore shouldst thou destroy thyself?
Nyle thou be iust myche, nether vndurstonde thou more than is nedeful; lest thou be astonyed.
17 Do not be so very lawless, neither become thou foolish, —wherefore shouldst thou die, before thy time?
Do thou not wickidli myche, and nyle thou be a fool; lest thou die in a tyme not thin.
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 thou susteyne a iust man; but also withdrawe thou not thin hond from hym; for he that dredith God, is not necligent of ony thing.
19 Wisdom, bringeth more strength to a wise man, than ten heroes, that are in the city.
Wisdom hath coumfortid a wise man, ouer ten pryncis of a citee.
20 For, as for men, there is none righteous in the earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
Forsothe no iust man is in erthe, that doith good, and synneth not.
21 Moreover, not to all the words which men speak, do thou apply thy heart, —lest thou hear thine own servant reviling thee!
But also yyue thou not thin herte to alle wordis, that ben seid; lest perauenture thou here thi seruaunt cursynge thee;
22 For truly, many times, thy heart knoweth, —that, even thou thyself, hast reviled others.
for thi conscience woot, that also thou hast cursid ofte othere men.
23 All this, have I proved by wisdom, —I said, I will be wise, but, that, was far from me.
I asayede alle thingis in wisdom; Y seide, I schal be maad wijs, and it yede awei ferthere fro me, myche more than it was;
24 Far away, is that which hath been, —and deep, deep, who can find it out?
and the depthe is hiy, who schal fynde 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 cumpasside alle thingis in my soule, to kunne, and biholde, and seke wisdom and resoun, and to knowe the wickidnesse of a fool, and the errour of vnprudent men.
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 Y foond a womman bitterere than deth, which is the snare of hunteris, and hir herte is a net, and hir hondis ben boondis; he that plesith God schal ascape hir, but he that is a synnere, schal be takun of hir.
27 See! this, have I found, saith the Proclaimer [counting] one by one, to find a conclusion;
Lo! Y foond this, seide Ecclesiastes, oon and other, that Y schulde fynde resoun, which my soule sekith yit;
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.
and Y foond not. I foond o man of a thousynde; Y foond not a womman of alle.
29 Only, see, this, have I found, That God made man upright, but, they, have sought out many devices.
I foond this oonli, that God made a man riytful; and he medlide hym silf with questiouns with out noumbre. Who is siche as a wijs man? and who knowith the expownyng of a word?
