Ecclesiastes 7
1 melius est nomen bonum quam unguenta pretiosa et dies mortis die nativitatis
[Having] a good reputation [MTY] is better than fine perfume, and the day that we die is better than the day that we are born.
2 melius est ire ad domum luctus quam ad domum convivii in illa enim finis cunctorum admonetur hominum et vivens cogitat quid futurum sit
It is better to go to a house where people are mourning [about someone who has died] than to go to a house where people are feasting, because everyone will die some day, and people who are alive should think seriously [IDM] about that.
3 melior est ira risu quia per tristitiam vultus corrigitur animus delinquentis
It is better to be sad than to be [always] laughing, because being sad can cause us to think more about how we should conduct our lives [IDM].
4 cor sapientium ubi tristitia est et cor stultorum ubi laetitia
Wise [people] who go to where others are mourning think about [the fact that some day they also will] die, but foolish people [PRS] [do not think about that]; they are always [MTY] laughing.
5 melius est a sapiente corripi quam stultorum adulatione decipi
It is better to pay attention to [someone who is wise] you than to listen to the songs of a foolish person.
6 quia sicut sonitus spinarum ardentium sub olla sic risus stulti sed et hoc vanitas
By [listening to] foolish people laughing we will not [learn any more than by listening to] the crackling of thorns [being burned] under a pot. Listening to fools is senseless.
7 calumnia conturbat sapientem et perdet robur cordis illius
When wise people say to others, “You must pay me a lot of money for me to protect you,” that causes those wise people to become foolish, and [accepting] bribes causes people to become unable to do what is fair/just.
8 melior est finis orationis quam principium melior est patiens arrogante
Finishing something is better than starting something, and being patient is better than being proud.
9 ne velox sis ad irascendum quia ira in sinu stulti requiescit
Do not quickly (lose your temper/react to things angrily), because it is foolish people [SYN] who become very angry.
10 ne dicas quid putas causae est quod priora tempora meliora fuere quam nunc sunt stulta est enim huiuscemodi interrogatio
Do not say, “Things were a lot better [RHQ] previously,” because it is people who are not wise who say that.
11 utilior est sapientia cum divitiis et magis prodest videntibus solem
Being wise is better than inheriting [valuable things]; being wise provides lasting benefits for every person on the earth [MTY].
12 sicut enim protegit sapientia sic protegit pecunia hoc autem plus habet eruditio et sapientia quod vitam tribuunt possessori suo
We are [sometimes] protected by being wise like we are [sometimes] protected by having a lot of money, but being wise is better [than having a lot of money], [because] being wise prevents us from [doing foolish things that would] cause us to die.
13 considera opera Dei quod nemo possit corrigere quem ille despexerit
Think [carefully about] what God has done. Certainly no one can [RHQ] cause to become straight the things that God has caused to be 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
When things are going well for you, be happy, and when things are not going well for you, remember that God is the one who causes good things to happen and who also causes disasters.
15 haec quoque vidi in diebus vanitatis meae iustus perit in iustitia sua et impius multo vivit tempore in malitia sua
During all the time that I have been alive I have seen a lot of [HYP] things that seem senseless. I have seen righteous people die [while they are still young], and I have seen wicked people remain alive for a very long time in [spite of] their continuing to be wicked.
16 noli esse iustus multum neque plus sapias quam necesse est ne obstupescas
[So] do not think that you are very righteous and do not think that you are very wise, [because if you think those things], you will destroy yourself.
17 ne impie agas multum et noli esse stultus ne moriaris in tempore non tuo
If you do what is evil or do what is foolish, you might die while you are still young.
18 bonum est te sustentare iustum sed et ab illo ne subtrahas manum tuam quia qui Deum timet nihil neglegit
Continue to avoid doing what is evil and doing what is foolish; avoid doing both of those things by continually revering God.
19 sapientia confortabit sapientem super decem principes civitatis
If you are wise, you will be more powerful/influential than the ten most powerful/influential men in your city.
20 non est enim homo iustus in terra qui faciat bonum et non peccet
There is no one in this world who [always] does what is right and who never sins.
21 sed et cunctis sermonibus qui dicuntur ne accommodes cor tuum ne forte audias servum tuum maledicentem tibi
Do not pay attention [IDM] to everything that people say, because if you do that, you might hear your servant cursing you.
22 scit enim tua conscientia quia et tu crebro maledixisti aliis
You know that you have also cursed other people.
23 cuncta temptavi in sapientia dixi sapiens efficiar et ipsa longius recessit a me
I said [to myself] that I would use my wisdom to study all the things [that I have written about], but I was not able to do it successfully.
24 multo magis quam erat et alta profunditas quis inveniet eam
Wisdom seems to be far from me; there is no one [RHQ] who can truly understand everything.
25 lustravi universa animo meo ut scirem et considerarem et quaererem sapientiam et rationem et ut cognoscerem impietatem stulti et errorem inprudentium
But I decided to investigate things and by my wisdom try to understand the reason for everything. I also wanted to understand why people act wickedly and why they act very foolishly.
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
[One thing I learned was that] (allowing a woman to seduce you/having sex with a woman to whom you are not married) is worse than dying. A woman who tries to seduce men is [as dangerous as] a trap [MET]. [If you allow her to put] her arms [around you, it will be as though she will be fastening you with] chains. Women like that will capture sinful men, but men who please God will escape from such women.
27 ecce hoc inveni dicit Ecclesiastes unum et alterum ut invenirem rationem
This is what I have learned: I tried to learn more and more about things to try to find out the reason for everything,
28 quam adhuc quaerit anima mea et non inveni virum de mille unum repperi mulierem ex omnibus non inveni
and I continued to try to learn more, but I could not find [all that I was searching for]. [But] one thing that I found out was that among 1,000 [people] I found one righteous man, but I did not find even one righteous woman.
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
[But] I did learn one thing: When God created people, they were righteous, but they have found many ways to do many evil things.
