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 one’s day of death is better than his day of 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 enter a house of mourning than a house of feasting, since death is the end of every man, 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 a sad countenance is good for the heart.
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 pleasure.
5 It is betere to be repreued of a wijs man, than to be disseyued bi the flateryng of foolis;
It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to 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 like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.
7 Fals chalenge disturblith a wijs man, and it schal leese the strengthe of his herte.
Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 Forsothe the ende of preyer is betere than the bigynnyng. A pacient man is betere than a proud man.
The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one.
9 Be thou not swift to be wrooth; for ire restith in the bosum of a fool.
Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.
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 old days better than these?” For it is unwise of you to ask about this.
11 Forsothe wisdom with richessis is more profitable, and profitith more to men seynge the sunne.
Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits 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, like money, is a shelter, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.
13 Biholde thou the werkis of God, that no man may amende hym, whom God hath dispisid.
Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent?
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, but in the day of adversity, consider this: God has made one of these along with the other, so that a man cannot discover anything that will come 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.
In my futile life I have seen both of these: A righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.
16 Nyle thou be iust myche, nether vndurstonde thou more than is nedeful; lest thou be astonyed.
Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too 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 excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. 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 to grasp the one and not let the other slip from your hand. For he who fears God will follow both warnings.
19 Wisdom hath coumfortid a wise man, ouer ten pryncis of a citee.
Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.
20 Forsothe no iust man is in erthe, that doith good, and synneth not.
Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
21 But also yyue thou not thin herte to alle wordis, that ben seid; lest perauenture thou here thi seruaunt cursynge thee;
Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you.
22 for thi conscience woot, that also thou hast cursid ofte othere men.
For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have 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 tested by wisdom, saying, “I resolve to be wise.” But it was beyond me.
24 and the depthe is hiy, who schal fynde it?
What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it?
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 directed my mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and explanations, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of 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.
And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a net, and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is ensnared.
27 Lo! Y foond this, seide Ecclesiastes, oon and other, that Y schulde fynde resoun, which my soule sekith yit;
“Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation.
28 and Y foond not. I foond o man of a thousynde; Y foond not a womman of alle.
While my soul was still searching but not finding, among a thousand I have found one upright man, but among all these I have not found one such woman.
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?
Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made men upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”
