Ecclesiastes 9
1 For, unto all this, I applied my heart, and, my heart, considered all this, that, the righteous and the wise and their servants, were in the hand of God, —neither love nor hatred, could any man know, every one, was before Him.
I tretide alle these thingis in myn herte, to vndirstonde diligentli. Iust men, and wise men ben, and her werkis ben in the hond of God; and netheles a man noot, whether he is worthi of loue or of hatrede.
2 Every one, was like every one else, one destiny, had the righteous and the lawless, the good and the pure and the impure, and he that sacrificed, and he that did not sacrifice, —as the good man, so, the sinner, he that took an oath, as he who, of an oath, stood in fear.
But alle thingis ben kept vncerteyn in to tyme to comynge; for alle thingis bifallen euenli to a iust man and to a wickid man, to a good man and to an yuel man, to a cleene man and to an vnclene man, to a man offrynge offryngis and sacrifices, and to a man dispisynge sacrifices; as a good man, so and a synnere; as a forsworun man, so and he that greetli swerith treuthe.
3 This was a misfortune in all that was done under the sun, that, one destiny, had they all, —yea also, the heart of the sons of men, was full of wickedness, and, madness, was in their heart, while they lived, and, after that, [they went] unto the dead.
This thing is the worste among alle thingis, that ben don vndur the sunne, that the same thingis bifallen to alle men; wherfor and the hertis of the sones of men ben fillid with malice and dispisyng in her lijf; and aftir these thingis thei schulen be led doun to hellis.
4 For, whosoever was united to all the living, for him, there was hope, —inasmuch as, a living dog, fared better than a dead lion.
No man is, that lyueth euere, and that hath trist of this thing; betere is a quik dogge than a deed lioun.
5 For, the living, knew that they should die, —but, the dead, knew not, anything, neither had they any longer a reward, because forgotten was their memory.
For thei that lyuen witen that thei schulen die; but deed men knowen no thing more, nether han meede ferthere; for her mynde is youun to foryetyng.
6 Both their love and their hatred and their envy, already had perished, —and, portion, had they none any longer, unto times age-abiding, in aught that was done under the sun.
Also the loue, and hatrede, and enuye perischiden togidere; and thei han no part in this world, and in the werk that is don vndur the sunne.
7 Go thy way—eat, with gladness, thy food, and drink, with a happy heart, thy wine, —when already God is well pleased with thy works.
Therfor go thou, iust man, and ete thi breed in gladnesse, and drynke thi wiyn with ioie; for thi werkis plesen God.
8 Continually, let thy garments be white, —and, ointment upon thy head, let it not be lacking.
In ech tyme thi clothis be white, and oile faile not fro thin heed.
9 Enjoy life, with thy wife whom thou lovest, all the days of thy life of vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all thy days of vanity, —for, that, is thy portion in life, and in thy toil wherewith, thou, art toiling under the sun.
Vse thou lijf with the wijf which thou louest, in alle the daies of lijf of thin vnstablenesse, that ben youun to thee vndur sunne, in al the tyme of thi vanyte; for this is thi part in thi lijf and trauel, bi which thou trauelist vndur the sunne.
10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, with thy might, do, —for there is no work nor calculation nor knowledge nor wisdom, in hades, whither, thou, art going. (Sheol h7585)
Worche thou bisili, what euer thing thin hond mai do; for nether werk, nether resoun, nethir kunnyng, nether wisdom schulen be at hellis, whidir thou haastist. (Sheol h7585)
11 I again saw under the sun, that not, to the swift, was the race, nor, to the strong, the battle, nay! nor, to the wise, food, nor yet, to the intelligent, riches, nor, even to the well-informed, comeliness, —for, time and accident, happened to them all.
I turnede me to another thing, and Y siy vndur sunne, that rennyng is not of swift men, nethir batel is of stronge men, nether breed is of wise men, nether richessis ben of techeris, ne grace is of crafti men; but tyme and hap is in alle thingis.
12 For, indeed, man could not know his own time, like fishes which were caught in a cruel net, and like little birds which were caught in a trap, —like them, were ensnared the sons of men, by a time of misfortune, when it fell upon them suddenly.
A man knowith not his ende; but as fischis ben takun with an hook, and as briddis ben takun with a snare, so men ben takun in yuel tyme, whanne it cometh sudeynli on hem.
13 Even this, had I seen of wisdom, under the sun, —and, of great import, was the same unto me: —
Also Y siy this wisdom vndur the sunne, and Y preuede it the mooste.
14 A little city, and men therein few, —and there came against it a great king, and surrounded it, and built against it large siege-works;
A litil citee, and a fewe men ther ynne; a greet kyng cam ayens it, and cumpasside it with palis, and he bildide strengthis bi cumpas; and bisegyng was maad perfit.
15 but there was found therein, a man, poor [but] wise, and, he, delivered the city by his wisdom, —yet, no one, remembered that poor man.
And a pore man and a wijs was foundun ther ynne; and he delyuerede the citee bi his wisdom, and no man bithouyte aftirward on that pore man.
16 Then said, I, Better is wisdom than strength, —although, the wisdom of the poor man, be despised, and, his words, not heard.
And Y seide, that wisdom is betere than strengthe; hou therfor is the wisdom of a pore man dispisid, and hise wordis ben not herd?
17 The words of the wise, in quietness, are heard, —beyond the outcry of one who ruleth over dullards.
The wordis of wise men ben herd in silence, more than the cry of a prince among foolis.
18 Better is wisdom, than weapons of war, —but, one sinner, may destroy much good.
Betere is wisdom than armuris of batel; and he that synneth in o thing, schal leese many goodis.
