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 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 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 becomes better.
4 Cor sapientium ubi tristitia est, et cor stultorum ubi laetitia.
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 makes the wise mad, And a gift destroys 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.
Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry, For anger in the bosom of fools rests.
10 Ne dicas: Quid putas causae est quod priora tempora meliora fuere quam nunc sunt? stulta enim est huiuscemodi interrogatio.
Do not say, “What was it, That the former days were better than these?” For you have 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 defense, And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom [is], She revives 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 praecave. sicut enim hanc, sic et illam fecit Deus, ut non inveniat homo contra eum iustas querimonias.
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 Haec quoque vidi in diebus vanitatis meae: Iustus perit in iustitia 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 wrongdoer prolonging [himself] in his wrong.
16 Noli esse iustus multum: neque plus sapias quam necesse est, ne obstupescas.
Do not be over-righteous, nor show yourself too wise, why are you desolate?
17 Ne impie agas multum: et noli esse stultus, ne moriaris in tempore non tuo.
Do not do much wrong, neither be a fool, why do you die within your time?
18 Bonum est te sustentare iustum, et ab illo ne subtrahas manum tuam: quia qui timet Deum, nihil negligit.
[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 Sapientia confortavit sapientem super decem principes civitatis.
The wisdom gives strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.
20 Non est enim homo iustus in terra, qui faciat bonum, et non peccet.
Because there is not a righteous man on earth that does good and does not sin.
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 do not give your heart, that you do not hear your servant reviling you.
22 scit enim conscientia tua, quia et tu crebro maledixisti aliis.
For many times also has your heart known that you yourself have also 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 has been, and deep, deep, who finds it?
25 Lustravi universa animo meo, ut scirem, et considerarem, et quaererem sapientiam, et rationem: et ut cognoscerem impietatem stulti, et errorem imprudentium:
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 et inveni amariorem morte mulierem, quae laqueus venatorum est, et sagena cor eius, 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 escapes 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 quaerit 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 quaestionibus. Quis talis ut sapiens est? et quis cognovit solutionem verbi?
See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they have sought out many inventions.
