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 unto a house of mourning, Than to go unto a house of banqueting, For that is the end of all men, And the living layeth [it] unto 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 becometh 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 maketh the wise mad, And a gift destroyeth 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.
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, For anger in the bosom of fools resteth.
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, 'What was it, That the former days were better than these?' For thou hast 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 defence, And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom [is], She reviveth 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 evil consider. Also this over-against that hath God made, To the intent that man doth 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 wrong-doer prolonging [himself] in his wrong.
16 Nyle thou be iust myche, nether vndurstonde thou more than is nedeful; lest thou be astonyed.
Be not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise, why art thou desolate?
17 Do thou not wickidli myche, and nyle thou be a fool; lest thou die in a tyme not thin.
Do not much wrong, neither be thou a fool, why dost thou die within 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 dost lay hold on this, and also, from that withdrawest not thy hand, for whoso is fearing God goeth out with them all.
19 Wisdom hath coumfortid a wise man, ouer ten pryncis of a citee.
The wisdom giveth 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 doth 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;
Also to all the words that they speak give not thy heart, that thou hear not thy servant reviling thee.
22 for thi conscience woot, that also thou hast cursid ofte othere men.
For many times also hath thy heart known that thou thyself also hast 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 hath been, and deep, deep, who doth find 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 round, also my heart, to know and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and reason, and to know the wrong of folly, and of foolishness the 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 am finding more bitter than death, the woman whose heart [is] nets and snares, her hands [are] bands; the good before God escapeth 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 — they have sought out many devices.
