Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is betere than preciouse oynementis; and the dai of deth is betere than the dai of birthe.
A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one’s birth.
2 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.
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 should take this to heart.
3 Yre is betere than leiyyng; for the soule of a trespassour is amendid bi the heuynesse of cheer.
Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
4 The herte of wise men is where sorewe is; and the herte of foolis is where gladnesse is.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 It is betere to be repreued of a wijs man, than to be disseyued bi the flateryng of foolis;
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 for as the sown of thornes brennynge vndur a pot, so is the leiyyng of a fool. But also this is vanyte.
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
7 Fals chalenge disturblith a wijs man, and it schal leese the strengthe of his herte.
Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.
8 Forsothe the ende of preyer is betere than the bigynnyng. A pacient man is betere than a proud man.
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 Be thou not swift to be wrooth; for ire restith in the bosum of a fool.
Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
10 Seie thou not, What gessist thou is of cause, that the formere tymes weren betere than ben now? for whi siche axyng is fonned.
Do not say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this.
11 Forsothe wisdom with richessis is more profitable, and profitith more to men seynge the sunne.
Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent for those who see the sun.
12 For as wisdom defendith, so money defendith; but lernyng and wisdom hath this more, that tho yyuen lijf to `her weldere.
For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
13 Biholde thou the werkis of God, that no man may amende hym, whom God hath dispisid.
Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight which he has made crooked?
14 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.
In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.
15 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.
All this I have seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.
16 Nyle thou be iust myche, nether vndurstonde thou more than is nedeful; lest thou be astonyed.
Do not be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Do thou not wickidli myche, and nyle thou be a fool; lest thou die in a tyme not thin.
Do not be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time?
18 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.
It is good that you should take hold of this. Yes, also do not withdraw your hand from that; for he who fears God will come out of them all.
19 Wisdom hath coumfortid a wise man, ouer ten pryncis of a citee.
Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
20 Forsothe no iust man is in erthe, that doith good, and synneth not.
Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and does not sin.
21 But also yyue thou not thin herte to alle wordis, that ben seid; lest perauenture thou here thi seruaunt cursynge thee;
Also do not take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;
22 for thi conscience woot, that also thou hast cursid ofte othere men.
for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.
23 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;
All this I have proved in wisdom. I said, “I will be wise;” but it was far from me.
24 and the depthe is hiy, who schal fynde it?
That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?
25 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.
I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.
26 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.
I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.
27 Lo! Y foond this, seide Ecclesiastes, oon and other, that Y schulde fynde resoun, which my soule sekith yit;
“Behold, I have found this,” says the Preacher, “to one another, to find an explanation
28 and Y foond not. I foond o man of a thousynde; Y foond not a womman of alle.
which my soul still seeks, but I have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all those.
29 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?
Behold, I have only found this: that God made mankind upright; but they search for many inventions.”
