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 then a good oyntment, and the day of death, then the day that one is borne.
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 goe to the house of mourning, then to goe to the house of feasting, because this is the ende of all men: and the liuing shall lay it to his heart.
3 Yre is betere than leiyyng; for the soule of a trespassour is amendid bi the heuynesse of cheer.
Anger is better then laughter: for by a sad looke the heart is made better.
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 fooles 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;
Better it is to heare ye rebuke of a wise man, then that a man should heare the song of fooles.
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 ye noyse of the thornes vnder the pot, so is the laughter of the foole: this also is vanitie.
7 Fals chalenge disturblith a wijs man, and it schal leese the strengthe of his herte.
Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad: and the rewarde destroyeth the heart.
8 Forsothe the ende of preyer is betere than the bigynnyng. A pacient man is betere than a proud man.
The ende of a thing is better then the beginning thereof, and the pacient in spirit is better then the proude in spirit.
9 Be thou not swift to be wrooth; for ire restith in the bosum of a fool.
Be not thou of an hastie spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosome of fooles.
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.
Say not thou, Why is it that the former dayes were better then these? for thou doest not enquire wisely of this thing.
11 Forsothe wisdom with richessis is more profitable, and profitith more to men seynge the sunne.
Wisedome is good with an inheritance, and excellent to them that see the sunne.
12 For as wisdom defendith, so money defendith; but lernyng and wisdom hath this more, that tho yyuen lijf to `her weldere.
For man shall rest in the shadowe of wisedome, and in the shadowe of siluer: but the excellencie of the knowledge of wisedome giueth life to the possessers thereof.
13 Biholde thou the werkis of God, that no man may amende hym, whom God hath dispisid.
Beholde the worke of God: for who can make straight that which he hath 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 wealth be of good comfort, and in the day of affliction consider: God also hath made this contrary to that, to the intent that man shoulde finde nothing 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.
I haue seene all things in the dayes of my vanitie: there is a iust man that perisheth in his iustice, and there is a wicked man that continueth long in his malice.
16 Nyle thou be iust myche, nether vndurstonde thou more than is nedeful; lest thou be astonyed.
Be not thou iust ouermuch, neither make thy selfe ouerwise: wherefore shouldest thou be desolate?
17 Do thou not wickidli myche, and nyle thou be a fool; lest thou die in a tyme not thin.
Be not thou wicked ouermuch, neither be thou foolish: wherefore shouldest thou perish not in thy 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 thou lay hold on this: but yet withdrawe not thine hand from that: for he that feareth God, shall come forth of them all.
19 Wisdom hath coumfortid a wise man, ouer ten pryncis of a citee.
Wisedome shall strengthen the wise man more then ten mightie princes that are in ye citie.
20 Forsothe no iust man is in erthe, that doith good, and synneth not.
Surely there is no man iust in the earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.
21 But also yyue thou not thin herte to alle wordis, that ben seid; lest perauenture thou here thi seruaunt cursynge thee;
Giue not thine heart also to all ye wordes that men speake, lest thou doe heare thy seruant cursing thee.
22 for thi conscience woot, that also thou hast cursid ofte othere men.
For often times also thine heart knoweth that thou likewise hast 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 haue I prooued by wisedome: I thought I will be wise, but it went farre from me.
24 and the depthe is hiy, who schal fynde it?
It is farre off, what may it be? and it is a profound deepenesse, who can finde 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 haue compassed about, both I and mine heart to knowe and to enquire and to search wisedome, and reason, and to knowe the wickednesse of follie, and the foolishnesse of madnesse,
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 finde more bitter then death the woman whose heart is as nettes and snares, and her handes, as bands: he that is good before God, shalbe deliuered from her, but the sinner shall be taken by her.
27 Lo! Y foond this, seide Ecclesiastes, oon and other, that Y schulde fynde resoun, which my soule sekith yit;
Beholde, sayth the Preacher, this haue I found, seeking one by one to finde the count:
28 and Y foond not. I foond o man of a thousynde; Y foond not a womman of alle.
And yet my soule seeketh, but I finde it not: I haue found one man of a thousand: but a woman among them all haue I not founde.
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?
Onely loe, this haue I founde, that God hath made man righteous: but they haue sought many inuentions.
