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 velox sis 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 est enim 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 sed et ab illo ne subtrahas manum tuam quia qui Deum timet nihil neglegit
[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 confortabit 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 accommodes 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 tua conscientia quia et tu crebro maledixisti aliis
For many times also has your heart known that you yourself have also reviled others.
23 cuncta temptavi 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 inprudentium
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 eam 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 dicit 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 repperi 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.
