Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is betere than preciouse oynementis; and the dai of deth is betere than the dai of birthe.
Better [is] a name than good perfume, And the day of death than the 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.
Better to go to a house of mourning, Than to go to a house of banqueting, For that is the end of all men, And the living lays [it] to his heart.
3 Yre is betere than leiyyng; for the soule of a trespassour is amendid bi the heuynesse of cheer.
Better [is] sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becomes 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 a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.
5 It is betere to be repreued of a wijs man, than to be disseyued bi the flateryng of foolis;
Better to hear a rebuke of a wise man, Than [for] a man to hear a 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 noise of thorns under the pot, So [is] the laughter of a fool, even this [is] vanity.
7 Fals chalenge disturblith a wijs man, and it schal leese the strengthe of his herte.
Surely oppression makes the wise mad, And a gift destroys the heart.
8 Forsothe the ende of preyer is betere than the bigynnyng. A pacient man is betere than a proud man.
Better [is] the latter end of a thing than its beginning, Better [is] the patient of spirit, than the haughty of 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 in the bosom of fools rests.
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, “What was it, That the former days were better than these?” For you have not asked wisely of this.
11 Forsothe wisdom with richessis is more profitable, and profitith more to men seynge the sunne.
Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance, And an advantage [it is] to those beholding 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, money [is] a defense, And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom [is], She revives her possessors.
13 Biholde thou the werkis of God, that no man may amende hym, whom God hath dispisid.
See the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He 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 a day of prosperity be in gladness, And in a day of calamity consider: God has also made this alongside of that, To the intent that man does not find 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.
The whole I have considered in the days of my vanity. There is a righteous one perishing in his righteousness, and there is a wrongdoer prolonging [himself] in his wrong.
16 Nyle thou be iust myche, nether vndurstonde thou more than is nedeful; lest thou be astonyed.
Do not be over-righteous, nor show yourself too wise, why are you desolate?
17 Do thou not wickidli myche, and nyle thou be a fool; lest thou die in a tyme not thin.
Do not do much wrong, neither be a fool, why do you die within 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 lay hold on this, and also, do not withdraw your hand from that, for whoever is fearing God goes out with them all.
19 Wisdom hath coumfortid a wise man, ouer ten pryncis of a citee.
The wisdom gives strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.
20 Forsothe no iust man is in erthe, that doith good, and synneth not.
Because there is not a righteous man on earth that 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 to all the words that they speak do not give your heart, that you do not hear your servant reviling you.
22 for thi conscience woot, that also thou hast cursid ofte othere men.
For many times also has your heart known that you yourself have also reviled 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 tried by wisdom; I have said, “I am wise,” and it [is] far from me.
24 and the depthe is hiy, who schal fynde it?
Far off [is] that which has been, and deep, deep, who finds 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 have turned around, also my heart, to know and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and reason, and to know the wrong of folly, and the madness of foolishness.
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 am finding more bitter than death, the woman whose heart [is] nets and snares, her hands [are] bands; the good before God escapes from her, but the sinner is captured by her.
27 Lo! Y foond this, seide Ecclesiastes, oon and other, that Y schulde fynde resoun, which my soule sekith yit;
See, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason
28 and Y foond not. I foond o man of a thousynde; Y foond not a womman of alle.
(that still my soul had sought, and I had not found), One man, a teacher, I have found, and a woman among all these I have not found.
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?
See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they have sought out many inventions.
