Ecclesiastes 7
1 Melius est nomen bonum quam unguenta pretiosa, et dies mortis die nativitatis.
Better [is] a name than good perfume, And the day of death than the day of birth.
2 Melius est ire ad domum luctus quam ad domum convivii; in illa enim finis cunctorum admonetur hominum, et vivens cogitat quid futurum sit.
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 Melior est ira risu, quia per tristitiam vultus corrigitur animus delinquentis.
Better [is] sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becometh better.
4 Cor sapientium ubi tristitia est, et cor stultorum ubi lætitia.
The heart of the wise [is] in a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.
5 Melius est a sapiente corripi, quam stultorum adulatione decipi;
Better to hear a rebuke of a wise man, Than [for] a man to hear a song of fools,
6 quia sicut sonitus spinarum ardentium sub olla, sic risus stulti. Sed et hoc vanitas.
For as the noise of thorns under the pot, So [is] the laughter of a fool, even this [is] vanity.
7 Calumnia conturbat sapientem, et perdet robur cordis illius.
Surely oppression maketh the wise mad, And a gift destroyeth the heart.
8 Melior est finis orationis quam principium. Melior est patiens arrogante.
Better [is] the latter end of a thing than its beginning, Better [is] the patient of spirit, than the haughty of spirit.
9 Ne sis velox ad irascendum, quia ira in sinu stulti requiescit.
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, For anger in the bosom of fools resteth.
10 Ne dicas: Quid putas causæ est quod priora tempora meliora fuere quam nunc sunt? stulta enim est hujuscemodi interrogatio.
Say not thou, 'What was it, That the former days were better than these?' For thou hast not asked wisely of this.
11 Utilior est sapientia cum divitiis, et magis prodest videntibus solem.
Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance, And an advantage [it is] to those beholding the sun.
12 Sicut enim protegit sapientia, sic protegit pecunia; hoc autem plus habet eruditio et sapientia, quod vitam tribuunt possessori suo.
For wisdom [is] a defense, money [is] a defence, And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom [is], She reviveth her possessors.
13 Considera opera Dei, quod nemo possit corrigere quem ille despexerit.
See the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He made crooked?
14 In die bona fruere bonis, et malam diem præcave; sicut enim hanc, sic et illam fecit Deus, ut non inveniat homo contra eum justas querimonias.
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 Hæc quoque vidi in diebus vanitatis meæ: justus perit in justitia sua, et impius multo vivit tempore in malitia sua.
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 Noli esse justus multum, neque plus sapias quam necesse est, ne obstupescas.
Be not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise, why art thou desolate?
17 Ne impie agas multum, et noli esse stultus, ne moriaris in tempore non tuo.
Do not much wrong, neither be thou a fool, why dost thou die within thy time?
18 Bonum est te sustentare justum: sed et ab illo ne subtrahas manum tuam; quia qui timet Deum nihil negligit.
[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 Sapientia confortavit sapientem super decem principes civitatis;
The wisdom giveth strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.
20 non est enim homo justus in terra qui faciat bonum et non peccet.
Because there is not a righteous man on earth that doth good and sinneth not.
21 Sed et cunctis sermonibus qui dicuntur ne accomodes cor tuum, ne forte audias servum tuum maledicentem tibi;
Also to all the words that they speak give not thy heart, that thou hear not thy servant reviling thee.
22 scit enim conscientia tua quia et tu crebro maledixisti aliis.
For many times also hath thy heart known that thou thyself also hast reviled others.
23 Cuncta tentavi in sapientia. Dixi: Sapiens efficiar: et ipsa longius recessit a me,
All this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, 'I am wise,' and it [is] far from me.
24 multo magis quam erat. Et alta profunditas, quis inveniet eam?
Far off [is] that which hath been, and deep, deep, who doth find it?
25 Lustravi universa animo meo, ut scirem et considerarem, et quærerem sapientiam, et rationem, et ut cognoscerem impietatem stulti, et errorem imprudentium:
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 et inveni amariorem morte mulierem, quæ laqueus venatorum est, et sagena cor ejus; vincula sunt manus illius. Qui placet Deo effugiet illam; qui autem peccator est capietur ab illa.
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 Ecce hoc inveni, dixit Ecclesiastes, unum et alterum ut invenirem rationem,
See, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason
28 quam adhuc quærit anima mea, et non inveni. Virum de mille unum reperi; mulierem ex omnibus non inveni.
(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 Solummodo hoc inveni, quod fecerit Deus hominem rectum, et ipse se infinitis miscuerit quæstionibus. Quis talis ut sapiens est? et quis cognovit solutionem verbi?
See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they — they have sought out many devices.
